The Ghost From His Past (will be finished on Ao3!)
by ni21
Summary: After Kuma sent her flying Perona is stranded at a cozily dark and creepy island. Unfortunately it's also a boring island with her only two companions being a desinterested grandpa and a grumpy oaf. He wasn't cute. Not at all. And she's definitely only checking in on him every night because Mihawk had asked her to! Past tense, Perona's POV Prequel to Shoganai. Friends with benefits
1. Chapter 1

**Hallo and welcome back to all my readers who followed me here, I'm honored! And also a very warm welcome to the new ones, thank you for giving me a chance! **

**What can I say, I'm honestly a bit surprised... I mean... You mean to tell me, that they spent two years together on that island and you can only find like 20 fics on Ao3 and about a handful on ? Just how? Just saying... I would have tapped that! **

**Anyways, this was supposed to be a oneshot, a scene to a reference I made in Shoganai and somehow it evolved into this multichapter fic. If Zoro/Perona is your OTP you can see this as a standalone fic, if you're open to more feel free to check out the next part in the series afterwards. **

**Thanks to Rexica and SomethingGhostly for betaing this! **

**Now have fun! **

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The world was full of cute things. Skeletons, for example, or Zombie plushies. What definitely wasn't cute was the ungrateful swordsman nagging at her that he only had one injured eye and that she didn't have to bandage both. Well, they've been through this, he was wrong, with that permanent evil glare of his, he definitely needed both eyes bandaged. It really didn't matter how many eyes he had or didn't have, he wouldn't find his room anyways and Mihawk-chan had forbidden any and all training until his eye was healed. She put another round of gauze around his head for emphasis before grabbing her cute, footlong and pointy scissors that had him screaming like a little girl the first time he'd seen them. Or as girlish as that brutish, rough voice could get, that was still nagging…

Perona halted in her movement to cut the bandage, focusing on that grumpy, nagging mouth of his. What did he need it for anyways? For scowling and bitching and drinking booze, well, bitching about not being allowed any booze since Mihawk-chan's recent embargo. So… technically… she put the scissors down to run another few rounds of gauze around his head, this time covering his mouth, patting his head at his cute little muffled protests. Much better in her opinion, but he only flared his revolting nostrils at her. What a brat, she did her very best every day to keep him alive and this was how he thanked her? Fine. She was just about to pull the bandages over his nose, too, when Mihawk coughed from the door. He was always there when she changed the bandages, maybe he felt a little guilty, too?

"I agree that we can do with a little less of his whining, but I'm afraid you'll have to let him breathe," he said with those creepy -not cute, creepy, mind you- eyes fixed on her.

She huffed, fine, of course the old geezer had to ruin her fun.

After fixating the gauze she packed everything back into her cute little emergency case and patted the brute's knee for goodbye, which of course he answered with muffled declarations of endless gratitude.

Back in her room, she threw herself on her bed with a sigh, hugging her newest plushie, Torashi, to her chest. She did feel a bit bad for the grump. It has been a week since the incident and she knew he was growing exceedingly restless and frustrated. And maybe… just maybe she felt a little guilty.

She knew how to sew a wound shut, mainly because surgical scars made plushies just _that _much cuter, but that was about everything she knew. That and that bandages helped hiding not cute grumpiness. If she were a doctor he might not have lost the eye. If she had recognized the extent of the damage Mihawk might have gotten him to a hospital instead of waiting and hoping until it had started rotting in its socket.

It didn't matter now, did it? The eye was gone and the infection under control, and apart from the ordered bedrest the idiot didn't seem to mind. 'Once I know Haki it won't matter anymore' Stupid idiot. And she was an even greater idiot for worrying over something that didn't matter to him... At least she had made the scar cute. She couldn't wait for him to take off the bandages and look at the cute little bandaid she had glued to the wound.

With a huff she left her body, like she did every night since the incident. It was true that he didn't seem to mind the loss now, but the first few nights he had been thrashing around in cold sweat and panic, similar to when she had first found him on the island. Old man Mihawk had told her to keep an eye on him and she did and maybe she also would have if he hadn't threatened to throw her out. As much as she hated the fact, she did like being around the grump and if it was just the soft, infuriatingly cute snores.

When she popped her head through the wall she didn't hear soft, infuriatingly cute snores. She also didn't hear the slow and deep breaths of meditation. Both she had come to expect from him. What she had not expected was the heavy panting and the furious pumping of his left hand over his- _Oh, dear god. _

She pulled her head out of the wall, turned around and pressed herself against it in embarrassment and with a squeak she remembered that in her astral form the wall to his room really wasn't something to press herself against. Just what was that idiot thinking? Doing something like that in the middle of the night in his own room? Couldn't he be a little more considerate?

Showing off that flushed, sweaty chest of his with that adorable little scar for all the ghosts to see? And that… she hadn't really gotten a very good look at that, had she? What was she even doing thinking about that? The grump was absolutely not cute at all, why would she _want _to get a good look at _that _? She didn't! Definitely didn't. Especially not since what little she had seen had looked angry red and veiny and not cute at all.

But… He had been very flushed and sweaty when he had battled that infection too, right? So actually she would be doing the responsible thing if she were to look again. Just to make sure he was really alright, right? Yes, she should definitely check on him again.

She turned around and pressed through the wall, one hand held up in front of her eyes, because she didn't want to see the not cute display on the bed. Fingers stretched apart as wide as they could only so she could see if he was alright. And really only because of that. And she wasn't at all disappointed to see him all relaxed reclined against his pillows, offending bodypart hidden by a blanket, while he wiped his stomach with a towel.

Her eyes widened, her disappointment pushed to the back of her mind as she recognized that the disgusting brute was wiping his revolting stuff from his appalling body with her cute pink towel. How had he even found it? She was already halfway across the room when she realised that she couldn't smack it in his face in her astral form and more importantly, that she really didn't want to touch it anymore.

Back in her body she felt hot and swore to take revenge for her defiled towel and to never check in on the grump's well-being again.

**His** chest rose from the sheets, heaving with every other pump of his fist. Cute scars straining over brutish muscle, hand fisting in presumably dirty sheets as his vile appendage shot disgusting stuff all over his disgustingly sweaty belly.

Phasing through walls always felt a bit like brain freeze, even though she knew she shouldn't be able to feel anything. She hadn't noticed before returning to her body flushed and hot on her sheets. She had only checked to see if the sweat and flush was normal for that kind of activity. Just to see that he really wasn't sick. Just to be safe. She wouldn't check again.

**A** strangled moan tore from his absolutely too dry lips, when he cupped his jewels in the ugly, thick fingers of his right hand, while his hips pumped into his left fist. She could almost feel the heat of her real body as her eyes followed the fingers' path from his balls up the scar adorning his front. It really was his one redeeming trait, that cute little scar. She couldn't have sutured it better herself. Another moan as white spluttered from his thing, fingers running through the milky pearls, spreading them over the ridges of his abdomen.

She crossed her arms over her chest as soon as she entered her body. Ignoring the tingling between her legs she huffed. She had only checked on him because Mihawk-chan had asked about the grump's progress. Like he'd done yesterday, or the day before yesterday, or the day before that. It wasn't like she had wanted to watch him touch himself weeks on end. She did not like it. At all.

He wasn't cute, she didn't like him and she had absolutely no idea why she stayed for the whole show or why her body reacted the way it did. Her body had never done things like that while she was away, no matter what she saw. It never got all hot and sweaty and … slimey. Absolutely nothing was cute about this! Or about him, there was absolutely no reason at all for her to look forward to dropping in. To watching that vile body convulse in obvious pleasure. To- no. She did not look forward to it, and she would only do it because Mihawk-chan asked her to.

Wait, did he do that on purpose? Mihawk was a man, he had to know what men were up to in their rooms at night! Oh if only she could make him wish to be a flea!

**She** phased through the wall right in time. Like the last times, just when he threw back the covers to show the already hard and straining thing between his legs. His left hand reached for it, pumping up and down leisurely while his right hand fondled the jewels below. His one grey eye staring right ahead as his breathi-

Oh shit.

"If you want to fuck, you better get your real ass in here before I'm done," he announced with his now somehow cuteish rumble. Eye's piercing focus unmistakably on her.

She gasped. This couldn't be! How had he found her this quick? How had she forgotten that he didn't have both eyes bandaged anymore? That was- "Don't be so full of yourself, I'm only here to check on you, it's not my fault you're a barbarian." She huffed. God how mortifying was this?

"Fucking liar, I've been giving you a show for weeks you perv. Thought I hadn't noticed, just because you've covered my eyes? You've been watching me every single day," he declared and she hated the victorious grin of his when he caught her eyes dipping to his still pumping hand.

She huffed again. "Well obviously the plan was a success, your observation Haki is nice and ready. You idiot could have spared me a lot of nightmares if you had told me right away that you felt me." She complained while exiting the room.

He was an idiot, but there really was no chance he'd buy that…

The next evening, lying in her bed Perona was restless. It had most definitely nothing to do with the fact that she couldn't phase into his room and _check in on _him. Who would even want to do that? Not her, for sure. He was an ugly, brutish, uncouth, not cute grump with a loud, deep, rough and very not cute voice. Not the type of boy a girl like her would ever be interested in. Ever. There really was nothing cute about him.

His scars maybe. They.. they were kind of cute. And just maybe he had a cute butt. But that was a very huge maybe, because it was probably all hairy.

Humandrills were kinda cute, though…

They didn't cross paths the next day. Mainly because she didn't feel like facing him after her very vivid dreams- no, after her very vivid nightmares of touching that… _thing _and even worse, enjoying it, but also because Mihawk had allowed him to train again and that idiot seemed set on losing his other eye, too. Throwing himself into the training with vigor that immediately made her think of where else he might be that - no. Just no. She would not go there.

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**I hope you liked it, leave a comment and/or a Kudos and let me know what you think!**  
**Tags will be updated on the go. **

**See you next week for chapter two! And if you want chapter previews around the weekend, follow me on twitter (at nitwentyone)  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hallo and welcome back!**

**Also, Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate!**  
**A huge thank you to those of you who kudosed, followed and faved the fic so far and of course SomethingGhostly for beta reading!**

**Now have fun reading!**

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**Last time Perona had seen things she shouldn't have. Repeatedly. Now she struggles to make sense of everything.**

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The next time she pushed through his bedroom wall she hoped to see him sweaty and straining against his sheets. It would mean that he had just been doing it out of habit every night around the same time and not because he had put on a show for her like he'd claimed. His words hadn't left her for days, putting on a show for her would mean that he expected her to like it, right? Who would like watching that? It wasn't pretty, it wasn't cute. And she was known to like cute things.

But. But as hard as she tried to get the pictures out of her head, as much as she tried to convince herself that she hadn't liked that supposed show… she had come to his room 17 times. In a row. And everytime she returned to her body it had been hot and tingly and slimey.

Her hopes were disappointed. He was on the bed, but he wasn't naked and he wasn't sweaty, and he wasn't straining. The sight in front of her maybe scared her even more. The dumb brute was leaning against his headboard… reading. Who would have guessed the guy knew how to read?

"Haven't pictured you as a reading person."

He scoffed without looking up, "I'm not."

She floated closer to him, turning in the air to put her head between the book and his legs, quickly jerking back without even getting a glance at the title when she realised just how close she was to that thing.

"What are you reading?" she asked instead, floating at his side to look over his shoulder to see actual words packed tightly on the page instead of pictures with minimal description. He really was reading. Like actually reading. Like an adult… with a brain.

"Robin read it before we got separated. She used to tell me about her books and it's really annoying not knowing how the story ends," he explained, calm but kind of ...sad?

She had known that he cared a lot about his captain and she'd been able to relate because Moria had been like a father to her, but she hadn't known that he felt that strongly for the others, too. For a second she wondered if maybe it was just the captain and Nico Robin, like they were a couple, but then she remembered that Nico Robin had been given a bounty of 79,000,000 at the age of 8 because the government feared her knowledge and intelligence. Perona wasn't stupid, but she was very much aware that she wasn't anywhere close to that woman and even she found him bland and dense…

Not cute at all.

"I miss them," he said after a stretch of silence.

"Me too," she admitted instead of telling him that at least he would see them again. Since his captain's appearance in the newspaper months ago they hadn't heard anything about any of them, who knew if they were still alive, who knew that they would stay alive?

"I'm sorry I watched you," she said into the silence that seemed alright with him, but made her absolutely uncomfortable. Probably because it made her think about the things he did in the silence of the night. She probably wouldn't have brought that up if he hadn't looked so c- lost in that moment, thinking about his crew.

He looked at her, mouth hanging open stupidly, eye widened in surprise. Yeah, why had she apologized? It was his fault he did things like that in his room!

"I don't give a fuck," he said shaking his head.

He didn't give a… How was that idiot so irritating? What did he mean he didn't give a fuck? And why did he have to be so crude about it?

He scoffed, "Don't look at me like that. I'm not the one flying around watching people jerk off in the middle of the night."

Oh, oh that was rich coming from him, he'd been doing it ev- he held up his hand right when she was about to give him a piece of her mind. And for some unexplainable reason she actually stopped.

"I ain't kink shaming. If it gets you off watching me, feel free, just don't play all innocent with me."

That was… she didn't… she would never- She huffed, crossed her arms in front of her chest and turned away from him. "I told you already it was for your training, I won't let you use me like some pet for your own perversion. I'll have you know, I haven't even looked."

"You a virgin?" he asked her absolutely out of the blue as if it was the most normal thing to ask and she gasped at the idiot's lack of any form of tact. Not cute.

"How is that any of your business?" she asked, calm and not shrieking at all and he had the audacity to laugh at her.

"Ah, well if I'm gonna make you my pet, I should know such things, right?"

She gasped, pet? Pet?! Sure, she had said it first but... Now... she was about 81% sure that he was joking, but if he wasn't… She sent five Negative Hollows his way and the idiot slumped off the bed, crumbled to the floor like wet cardboard since he apparently still didn't know anything about armament haki. Fists in her sides she floated over him, cute pink boots right in front of his bumbling mouth.

"Your pet?" she asked, "as if I would be a pet to the likes of you. If anything I'll make you my little boytoy, and if you're really lucky I'll allow you to clean my boots with your tongue," she declared with the same entitled air as always, because he really didn't have to know that her treacherous lady parts really didn't seem all that opposed to his suggestion. What was that even supposed to mean, Pet?

He stared at her while pulling himself on his feet again, that evil stare of his that now sent a shiver down her spine for a whole different reason than the first time he'd looked at her with that feral spark. His mouth stretched into a predatory grin as he sat back down.

"You can try, princess,, but you'll see that I don't do well on my knees. Now cut the bullshit, Perona, if you wanna fuck you're gonna have to answer me. Are you a virgin?"

She crossed her arms in a huff. "What makes you even think that?" And who said anything about fucking? Nobody! Not her! Not while being awake at least!

"Not many guys would want to stick their dicks in this much crazy," he answered with that stupid grin that wasn't cute at all and made her want to sew a bandage over it.

"Oh but you would?"

He shrugged. "I don't give a fuck, there's nothing you could dish out that I couldn't handle. And don't you dare hollow me again," he added with an odd air of authority he hadn't shown before. Made her want to do it even more, like any other time someone tried to order her around. But at the same time it made her dread the consequences yet also kind of anticipate them and worst of all, it made her want to comply! It was confusing, irritating, infuriating! This Zoro in front of her was … she didn't even know what he was, so different from the childish, petulant one she had known.

"Fine, yes, I'm a virgin, what are you going to do about it?"

"Change it, obviously."

Oh that cocky bastard!

He gave her another of those weird stares that did even weirder things to her lower belly, in her ghost from, mind you. She shouldn't be feeling anything!

"Wanna know how else I knew you haven't done it yet?"

"How," she asked, eye twitching in irritation at him and her own body.

He leaned in, hopefully clean breath fanning through her skin, his eye burning with an intensity she'd only ever seen during his fights. "'cause fucking ain't cute. It's gonna be dirty and sweaty and fucking filthy and I want you to think real hard about that. If you knock on my door at night, I won't be granting you any second chances, Perona," he rumbled, voice deep and raspy and not cute at all and yet…

He left. Bastard left her floating here, with blood rushing to her cheeks, fury burning in her chest and excitement brewing in her belly. Like fucking hell would she go to him, no matter what her body was telling her, and even if, she for sure wouldn't fucking knock!

Just where the hell was he going anyways, this was his own ro-... Never mind. Idiot.

When Perona barged into his room five days later demanding he take her virginity, he sent her away.

He actually had the gall to throw her out, not even looking up from that stupid book of his. Because he had told her to knock, and because she should ask politely. What the heck did that barbarian even know about politeness? And just how long could it take to read a few hundred pages anyway?

Now, she hadn't actually wanted him to take her virginity. Who would want that? Just kind of see if he'd try to pull it off. She would have negative hollowed his butt through the floor if he had so much as attempted to touch her, but…

He hadn't. He hadn't touched her since that one time shortly after he arrived at the island, when he had accidentally scratched along her delicate skin with those rough hands of his and consequently ended up on the floor wallowing in self deprecation.

Who would even want hands like that to touch them? All brutish and rough. Who would want that anywhere on their body, much less at the sensitive and disgusting parts? She didn't know a whole lot, but she did know that those parts were involved. She had seen enough during her late night prowlers through Thriller Bark. She didn't want hands like his there. She didn't even want her own hands there, although for different reasons. He had looked comfortable touching that though. Maybe she should try? She couldn't help the excited flutter of her lower belly but still shivered in disgust. It just wasn't … it wasn't cute down there. She had looked. It was wrinkly and hairy and smelly and just not cute at all. And slime was just… yuck. She wasn't a snail after all. But… if that thing was to go in there slime was probably helpful…

She scoffed. Ask politely… that idiot. He should feel honoured if she actually were to let him… and he wanted her to knock and ask like some puppy, the audacity!

… Pet...

She huffed, still unsure on what he had meant with that.

The next time she saw him was over dinner, where he -despite Mihawk-chan's best efforts- still ate like a pig. Shoving the next fork of food into his disgusting maw before he'd chewed the last one even half way through and still she wondered how that horrible mouth would feel on her body… Zombie nurse had always liked being kissed down there at the ugly.

She huffed, put down her cutlery and stood up. "You disgust me," she proclaimed.

He swallowed the tons of food still in his mouth -she really, really hoped he'd choke on it- and laughed at her with that raspy voice of his, that was not cute at all.

"Funny, I smell your heat from here," he barked.

She gasped. That… that.. that vile creature! Her negative hollows were already halfway over the table when old man Mihawk interrupted: "For god's sake, would you keep your prepubescent foreplay away from the dinnertable? And do us all a favour and add contraceptives on your shopping list, your mood swings are bad enough as they are," he said, before turning back to his perfectly fried steak as if he hadn't just… just…

She left. Of course she could have hollowed the old man for that disrespect, for those insinuations, she would have if it wasn't for his hospitality. Had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she was still a little scared of him and quite frankly no match for him. She did send a Negative Hollow to the guffawing brute though.

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**Hope you enjoyed, leave a kudos and/or a comment to let me know what you think of this chapter.**

**And I think it goes without saying that most people probably very much give a fuck if you watch them like that without their consent. Don't do it, there's places to cater to that kink.**

**I hope to see you next week, I'll tweet a preview of the next chapter on the weekend!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hallo and welcome back! Hope you all had a nice start to 2020!**

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**The brute is not cute, especially not since his weird offers -or are they challenges?- make Perona think about her body in a way she hadn't before and she doesn't like it. But just maybe he is kinda cu- nope, not cute!**

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Three days later she had bought condoms. Not because she wanted to do it with him, of course, but if he were to attack her like the brutish animal he was, maybe she could convince him to slip it on? Who knew where the mutt had been before and also, if he wore a condom, his disgusting thing wouldn't have to actually touch her disgusting thing. Win win.

They were cute. Pink and with cherry flavour. She wasn't really sure what they would need flavour for, but she had smelled the box and they definitely smelled better than he did.

The old woman in the store had been obnoxious to say the least. In the end she had bought all the _toys_ she had recommended and five bottles of cola to go with them, just to get out of there without another pinch of her rosy cheeks or comments about how lucky the man -or woman- she had chosen was to get _such a doll_. That they would love her cute little virgin kitty… She had really wanted to put her on her knees with her negative hollows but somehow she'd been afraid that she would have enjoyed it… also, Mihawk-chan had asked her to keep a low profile. In retrospect, asking the woman for advice had been a real mistake, that had invited very very detailed and … she shivered in disgust. She wouldn't do any of those things with the brute. Absolutely not, thank you very much!

Also, there was nothing cute about her _kitty_.

She angled the mirror a little further. Her hair was darker down there. Thicker. And not cute and soft like the hair on her head. Her skin was darker, too, not the pretty pale white she had everywhere else.

The mirror slipped from her freshly manicured fingers and clattered to the floor when a brutish fist started pounding against the bathroom door and she kicked her cute black and pink polkadot panties under the counter in an instant. A whole, giant castle and old man Mihawk insisted they share one bathroom because _it wouldn't be economical_… Why couldn't he share a bathroom with the brute? She was a lady, of course she needed more time every now and again!

"What do you want?!" she snapped while ripping open the door with such ferocity that he stepped away from her. Damn right he did.

"What do you think I want? You bitch about me being sweaty and bloody at dinner all the time." He snarked and shoved past her only to stay rooted to the spot as soon as he was in.

She followed his line of sight. the shards of broken mirror on the floor, the bit of polka dotted fabric peeking from under the sink. Oh god.

"The fuck have you been doing in here?"

"Nothing!"

She couldn't even find the energy to hollow him. Just why did that have to happen to her? Why hadn't she just ordered him away like she would have normally done? Why had she jumped as if it wasn't her goddamn right to look at her own hairy kitty? And if it was her right why was she blushing like that? What was wrong with her?

He walked in towards the sink, mirror crunching under his dirty boots and oh god, why hadn't she brought that bag into her room after shopping? What if he'd- she'd make him wish for rebirth as a flee for weeks if he dared touching that bag!

He sat down on the closed toilet seat instead, nodding to the fresh wound on his left shoulder. "Do you mind? I can't see shit there."

Oh right. She begged her heart to ease its hectic rhythm and tiptoed around the scattered shards on the floor to get the emergency kit from behind the mirror. Spraying the needle and the wound with alcohol she dove right in. Yes, this was way better than explaining. This she was used to, patching him up in utter silence. This was good. Like a thousand times before. Nothing was different. Absolutely nothing. His body heat definitely didn't suddenly feel inviting instead of revolting, his stench was just as disgusting and absolutely didn't make her stomach flutter. Oh thank god she was sitting on his blind side.

"So, were you trying to shave or so-" the rest of his question was morphed into a very undignified and very not cute scream from where she might have pushed the needle too deep and might have maybe hit a nerve or something. She wouldn't know, she was used to sewing stuffed animals. "None of your business," she snapped and he was at least bright enough to shut up while she was closing the cut.

Maybe she should have just asked him. He seemed to know enough, and no matter how not cute and how brutish he was he couldn't possibly be any worse than that obnoxious old hag from the store.

"I bought condoms," she said. And he didn't laugh at her, or huff, or scoff, just sat there. So quiet that for a moment she wondered if he had even heard.

"And?" He asked, as if waiting for more details.

"And the woman was horrible. Asked about the size and suddenly she got really excited and started gushing about all the things _she_ would do with that, and I didn't even know about half of what she said and then she started talking about how _that_ would be so happy with such a _cute little virgin kitty_ and I …" she stopped. She hadn't intended to say all that. Yes, she had played with the thought of asking him, but telling him about such an embarrassing encounter? He didn't laugh. "And you…?" he asked instead. His voice serious and she was really grateful that he didn't look at her.

"And I really can't see anything cute about that." she knew she was pouting and she knew she shouldn't be. Not because of that and not in front of him. But in this moment… it was weird, and she would probably hate herself for it later. At the latest when he would start to tease her about her insecurities. But as he was right now, all serious and calm, she felt like it was safe to talk to him.

Maybe it was because it felt like a weird quid pro quo? She stitched his body back together and he'd help her glue that shattered image she had of herself back together?

If that lady talked about _cute kitties_ that meant they were cute in general. So how could hers be not cute? Of all the kitties in this world, how was hers an ugly, hairy, smelly, wrinkled mess? She loved cute things, why couldn't she be cute down there?

She had looked through the picture books and magazines at the shop and while the kitties there weren't really cute either, they weren't nearly as bad as hers, they were tiny and clean. Not that hers was dirty, other than some of her cohabitants she did shower everyday, but it wasn't as orderly. Not as white and rosy. And she did suspect that it might be because they were hairless, but how would she even start shaving all that mess? As cute as scars were on stuffed animals and admittedly on grumpy swordsmen, she didn't want any! And why hadn't she thought about stuff like that while she had still been on Thriller Bark where she had lived with other women that at least at some point had been alive and in human bodies?

On the other hand… she peeked over at him and briefly wondered why he was still here. She was done with his wound five minutes ago… he had probably seen more kitties than the average woman, right?

"And why the fuck would it have to look cute?"

She groaned. Of course the idiot brute wouldn't understand! "Because I'm cute and nothing on me is supposed to be any different!" she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and he laughed at her for the first time since coming in. That bastard.

He turned towards her, fierce and not cute grin stretching over his lips as he got right into her face. "There's absolutely nothing cute about you."

She huffed again. As if that brute knew anything about cuteness.

"And it doesn't look like in the magazines," she muttered under her breath, hoping against hope that he was at least a halfway decent human being. His eye widened before he scoffed in her face.

"Not even the women in the magazines look like the women in the magazines. No guy will give a fuck, but if looking more like them makes you feel better, shave," he said with an air of nonchalance she wouldn't have attributed to him. As if it wasn't a big deal. As if he really didn't care what she looked like down there. But he had told her that he wanted her, so he should care… or had he just played with her, teased her?

He didn't seem intelligent enough for deceit. Maybe he had given up? And why the hell did she even care? He was not cute at all and he was no prince to free her from this place of infinite boredom. All he wanted from her was temporal entertainment, because even if he were cute, which he wasn't, this couldn't last. He would return to his crew in little over a year and never think of her again. That was fine. Great even. She didn't want to be stuck with a grouch like him.

Or did he really not care that it was disgusting?

"I don't know how," she admitted.

He sighed and got up towards the sink. Grabbed a can of shaving cream and the razor he used to put the wiry stubble from his face all over the sink in the mornings, always mindful not to clean it up afterwards.

"Well are you gonna take off that skirt or what?" he asked and she sputtered. What the- ? How dare he? Why would she undress in front of him?! Had he forgotten, that she didn't wear pan- she looked at the shaving utensils in his boorish hands… Oh no, he wouldn't!

What even made him think she would let _him_ of all people do something like that?!

"Don't you come near me with that stuff! There's no way I'd ever undress in front of a brute like you! You're not even remotely cute enough to even be considered worthy of touching me anywhere, much less there!"

He just stood there, stupid grin plastered on his face, and let her rant. Let her count off all the disgusting things about him, loud enough to drown out the little voice in her head that maybe it was a just tiny little bit cute that he wanted to make her feel better, albeit with his perverted ways.

"You know the more you bitch about me the more it sounds like you're trying to convince yourself," he drawled when she was done. Not that she'd ever be done, the list went on for ages, but she needed to breathe in her physical body, and he definitely wasn't right with that assumption. There was no need to convince herself. He was a brute, simple as that. He was not cute. And she only wanted cute.

Then why had her fingers already started undoing the cute little bow at her back?

The skirts fell to the floor and she was pretty sure that despite all the things going on inside her head, if he had looked now she would have hollowed his ass to tomorrow. But he didn't, held her gaze as he came over to sit down next to her. Back against the tub and in direct line to the floor length mirror mounted on the bathroom door.

She sat down between his legs without prompting and it bugged her to no end. She could see them in the mirror, how small she was compared to him. His bare chest visible on both sides of her body, her skin so pale in contrast to his. He looked evil. A looming presence behind her. Predator with his pray. It was probably the eye. It kinda made him look menacing, even while asleep… not that she had watched him in his sleep. Despite all that he looked serene and she couldn't help but still feel safe. She hated it. He was right. She should find him disgusting. Revolting. He wasn't cute, he was rugged and harsh and ...

She sighed. "Get on with it already, and don't you dare cut me!"

He chuckled and she could feel his hot chest brush against her back. It should make her skin crawl. Didn't.

"I'm pretty good with blades," he bragged and she rammed her elbow in hard and unforgiving muscle. "Tell that to your other eye."

He scoffed, "Brat. I'm gonna have to look at you. And touch you. Is that alright?"

Well duh. Of course he had to. But he didn't move, apparently waiting for more than just a huff and a lift of her shoulders. "Yeah fine!" She hated that she sounded pouty.

"Would be real helpful if you spread your legs, too."

Well it would, wouldn't it? She couldn't possibly… spreading her legs for a brute like him… that's not what cute girls did.. But…

She closed her eyes and let her legs fall to the sides, bumping against his. God this was embarrassing! She didn't even want to see his reaction!

"You're fine," he rumbled behind her and her eyes snapped open, searching his in the mirror only to see it staring right between her legs. Blood rushed to her cheeks as if she hadn't already been blushing the whole time. Idiot.

He put those rough hands on her shoulders and pushed her back to rest against his chest, and she seized immediately. It wasn't supposed to feel so comfortable.

"Relax, will you?" He sprayed the cream into one hand and lathered it up to a foam. "I'll touch you now."

And he did, both his warm hands laying flat against her folds and her hips bucked right up against them of their own volition. She gasped at the sudden jolt, at the butterflies in her stomach, at the heat around her. This was not good.

He didn't laugh at least, and she clenched her eyes shut again and turned her head, inadvertently burying her nose against hard pectoral that wasn't cute at all, but for some reason smelled absolutely devine right now despite the ardorous workout he just came from. She held her breath as he worked the foam over the coarse pink locks, doing her best not to react to his touches. Not to tilt and turn _into_ them.

He stretched behind her, reached for the tub's faucet to clean his hands and she chanced a glance. By propping her against him her hips had tilted… He had seen everything! Even her other hole that was that disgusting brownish colour and not the cute pink she'd seen in the magazines! She was just about to bolt when his arms came back around her. His head resting on her shoulder to look down between her legs.

"Stop squirming. I told you, you're fine," he rumbled, and she _believed him!_ Just what was becoming of her? She believed him, quite obviously trusted him and … no, she did not find him cute. He still wasn't cute. Not at all. He was a brute!

He pulled her skin taunt and ran the razor over skin, and she couldn't help but wonder if those secure strokes were only the result of his own routine or if he had done this before? On a woman? Was that a thing? Shaving other people? Wasn't that dangerous? It took her brain a bit too long to catch up with the frantic beating of her heart. Yes it was! What had she been thinking letting an idiot down there with a blade? An idiot with no depth perception at that?

"You know, for most I've met this fear of getting cut is part of the fun," he chuckled behind her, vibrations from his chest running right there where his hands were lying idle. If that was supposed to be fun, why had he stopped? "Doesn't seem to be your kink though, does it? I told you, I won't cut you."

How did he do that? He was dense as a rock the best of times, without her he'd still be puzzling out the message his captain had given him. So how could he zero in on her emotions like that and placate them as if she actually trusted him? He never seemed to understand her any other time! It didn't matter really, because as soon as he said it she had relaxed back into his chest with nothing more than a huff and watched his hands work between her legs. It was infuriating.

He was efficient, he had not once touched her in a way that wasn't necessary to move the razor. Even when he had cupped her _stuff_ and pushed it to the side, an action that had definitely not made her belly flutter and her cheeks redden even more. _Stuff_ that in the magazines was barely visible if at all, no matter how much the women spread their legs. He hadn't even hesitated touching her there, as if it was normal to look like that…like some naked slug… a shiver ran down her arms and this time it had nothing to do with the way he touched her… disgusting.

As per usual, the barbarian didn't care about the mess he left behind and took the showerhead to rinse her off, right where they were, on the bathroom floor. Foamy water and hair running across tiles and her disgust and irritation spiked when she realized that she'd be the one to clean it up. It was enough to forget that now with the foam gone she was completely bare for him to see. Enough that she didn't know what he wanted from her when he turned her head from the mess on the tiles towards the mirror across from them.

But she saw. Saw herself like she had never seen herself before and she hadn't even looked down. Her cheeks flushed, lips parted, hair damp, pupils wide. She did look a bit like the women in the magazines. That cocky grin of his showed her that he saw it too. His grey eye tore away from hers in the mirror, lazily trailing down, beckoning her eyes to follow, but she wasn't ready for that.

He chuckled that infuriatingly charming chuckle again when she put both her hands in front of her eyes before angling her head down. She didn't want to see, felt the heat of embarrassment on her face, even in her ears.

"Figured that mortification would be _cuter_ on you than fear," he rumbled behind her and she did not flush at the backhanded compliment. What was wrong with that guy? What type of woman did he get in bed with that crude charm? What type of woman did he want, acting like that?

Never mind the fact that she had just returned from buying condoms that should _fit like a charm_ according to the insufferable hag in the shop.

Spreading her fingers she tentatively opened one eye to take a careful peek.

Oh. It was… prettier? Didn't look as dark, as wild, even though the _stuff_ was more visible than before. Her folds, her lips, it wasn't normal that they were big like that, right? But with him it might be helpful? She knew where she should be able to feel the most pleasure from, where zombie nurse had liked it best and where the hag had advised her to touch… where his rough hands had made her hips jump.

They've been together on this island long enough that she knew that if she actually wanted to do _it_ with him the fact that her _stuff_ wasn't as tiny and pretty as in the magazines was an advantage, because she was pretty sure it would be awkward enough without him getting lost on her body. Was that why he had left that patch of pink hair above it? For orientation?

For a moment she thought the glistening right in the middle was pretty… then she realised that it was _not_ water from rinsing off and she closed her legs and buried her head in her hands again. What were the chances that he hadn't seen it? Oh god, oh _god_ this was humiliating and it would definitely go to his head. No chance he'd let her live that down!

There was a soft nudge against her inner thighs and she didn't even resist. He had seen and now was time for him to gloat, with or without that visual aid.

"Now I may not be an expert on cuteness, but with or without that ridiculous pink hair, that's a damn fine cunt."

Whether the new burst of redness on her cheeks came from mortification about his crass assessment of her private parts or from fury about a grasshead -and by now she was pretty sure that the grass started where the brain _should _be- picking on her cute pink curls she didn't know, but she jumped from the floor, shoving a perfectly manicured finger in his chest to seethe right in his face. Then she saw the bulge in his pants and all the fight left her.

Maybe, just maybe, it _was_ a '_damn fine cunt'_. Didn't stop her from sending three Negative Hollows his way to bask in his pitiful wishes for an untimely death because he wasn't worth walking the same earth she did, while she grabbed her new purchases and marched out of the bathroom.

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**I really wasn't sure about this chapter, if I should actually go through with this idea. I thank Ghost and Lachanophobic for emotional support and encouragement, check out her work if you can find it in you to read Dragonball, she's an amazing writer and friend! **

**Thanks to Ghost for beta reading! **

** Please let me know what you think about this chapter! **

**See you next week! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hallo and welcome back!**  
**Now I know some of you came here from Shôganai and just in case you were wondering, yes, I'm a masochist. **  
**I have to be! How else could I have thought that writing Perona as a virgin was a good idea? Do you have any idea how hard it is to immerse yourself in a virgin character when you're on the slutty side? So. Fucking. Hard. I give huge kudos to the Vegebul Sinners in the Dungeon and to Lachanophobic especially for all their patience while I bitched and whined, because this stupid brat wouldn't just spread her legs and to the latter for the saving idea to get the stupid woman on the bed. (Check out her new fic The Mandragora Prince on ao3, it's a really cute Dragon Ball AU you can enjoy even if you're not into the fandom)**

**Now from this little rant, you might have already guessed, this chapter is THE chapter… well not quite… it got two long so I cut it neatly in half, have fun!**

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It was the third night. The third night of Perona walking back and forth in front of the brute's door debating with herself on whether to just barge in and get thrown out again, knock like his polite little pet, or just leave and toss and turn in her own bed because she didn't know what to do with the constant heat between her legs.

Not that she didn't know at all what to do… she had tried touching herself like the women in the magazines had suggested… She had even turned on one of the toys the hag had recommended, although she had been so thoroughly intimidated by the vibrations pulsing through her arm that she hadn't touched any of them since. It just wasn't enough and so, here she was again. Walking and talking to herself… He could just be a decent human being and invite her in, right? But no, he had to be an idiot brute that completely _got off_ on that weird Powerplay.

That was probably the worst thing about this situation. Since he now knew Observation Haki he knew that she was out here. And he knew that she knew he knew and all that. It wasn't that he commented on that, no, he didn't even seem to look at her during breakfast or dinner. It was just… he was different. Had that special air about him. No matter how offended she had been at old man Mihawk's remark, he was right; at least for the brute, this was foreplay. He enjoyed seeing her this torn. For him, it was enough. He probably didn't even care if he got her kitty at the end, he had already won and it infuriated her to no end.

Really, she should just march in and take what she wanted, hollow his ass to the bed and have her way with him…Not that she exactly knew how she would go about that, but he deserved it for making her suffer so much.

That begged another question though; did she only want him because he was the only choice she had? Before that shaving incident that still made her blush when she thought about it, she had thought that this was just her body demanding long since due attention, she was already 24 after all. And then he'd gone and made her doubt things, because the brute had been soft and considerate and dare she say even a little bit cute with how he had reassured her.

That wasn't what he had promised her should she knock on that door though. If she were to knock it would be dirty, sweaty and downright filthy. Not soft, considerate and cute. Just how had that idiot managed to make her think that just maybe he could make it enjoyable despite all that?

Infuriating. Utterly and completely infuriating.

With a barely suppressed scream she opened his door, as always finding him sitting on his bed reading. Self loathing bubbled in her belly when she thought that it was a shame he didn't need reading glasses because they would make him look cute. What was wrong with her?

"This is getting boring" he said, again not looking up. He could at least look at her! Was that too much to ask? She was about to give him her virginity for- What was that? No, she wasn't!

She stemmed her fists in her sides and just a few steps brought her to the foot of his bed. He had the smallest room in the wing, because apparently too much open space wasn't comfortable for him. Peasant.

"No it's not, _you_ enjoy this, idiot," she pouted, not quite sure what she was supposed to do now that she was inside and had not been thrown out right away.

"I do, but I also told you that indecision ain't cute," he laughed and she cursed his voice for doing strange things to her kitty and him in general for being right.

He had told her those words the last two times she barged in after an hour of stalling in front of his door and she had thought about it. She was a princess, she was supposed to know what she wanted and when she wanted it and she was supposed to get it! It's always been like that and it would stay that way. If she decided that she wanted that not cute brute, then she would get him.

She pouted her rose-red lips, looking about the room. So, yeah, she might want to have his disgusting thing in her kitty but that still didn't help her much.

The first aid kit on his nightstand caught her eye. He had always been more agreeable when he was bandaged, right?

He just sat there and watched quietly as she marched up next to him to dump the kit's contents on his bed and she took it as a win that he actually put the book away.

When he had shaved her, he had told her what he was doing, so she assumed that might be how it was done. And the hag had also said that one should communicate, because openness and honesty was how you made sure everyone was at ease and happy. "Your hands are rough and disgusting, so I'll have to bandage them."

He chuckled, putting his hands up for her to get to work. Grey eye sparkling mischief, which didn't make him look boyish and hence cute. Not at all.

"So, you're gonna prep yourself with me watching?" He asked and she gasped at the insinuation.

She would not do such a filthy thing in front of him! He was the uncultured barbarian, not her. She was glad he said it though, made the decision easier. Raising the bandages she wrapped them around his head one loop at a time. His eye had to go first. Also, it really didn't matter that he wouldn't be able to use his hands, Zombie Nurse had always enjoyed kisses on her kitty more than clumsy touches.

"Just this once." His voice the same low rumble as before as he held his hands steady for her to work. The same rumble that went straight from his lips to hers down there, making them tingle in excitement. She knew what he meant and she hated the fact that she knew the brute so well. Just this once he'd humour her. To put her at ease. He was being considerate because it was her first. Kind of cute.

"Ya still gotta say 'please' though," he added. Nope, not cute at all. And she'd definitely bandage his mouth if it wasn't for the fact that she still needed it. Punched his chest instead and the air around her chilled instantly even before his one unbandaged hand closed around her wrist.

"Don't push it."

It sent shivers down her spine. She was never afraid of him before, but right now? This wasn't like with his long-nosed friend, this was different. This was primal. He was the wounded tiger in the jungle that let her treat his wounds, let her pet his fur, but there was no doubt he'd put her in her place if she went too far. She wanted to snap at him, wanted to send her hollows, but she stayed still. Gaze caught by the ferocious grin on his lips, body trapped by his domineering will alone. Her heart hammered in her chest, her instincts begging her to flee or submit, because there simply was no fighting this beast. Desperately she rationalised that she would flee if he let her if he wasn't holding her wrist in his vice-like hand, but she knew better.

This wasn't cute and wasn't pretty, but some part of her brain accepted it, wanted it, pushed her to stay, maybe even challenged her, while his calloused thumb caressed the soft skin of her forearm, not at all holding her tight. Damn this idiot brute! Corrupting her like that, putting ideas like that in her head! Making her feel that way! All weak and small. How could a brute like him make her feel so much more girlish than she already was? How could a barbarian like him make her feel as if she wasn't crazy for even considering doing that with him?

She called him a brute for a reason, how could she think that he would be careful with her? How could she not mind if he wasn't?

Her body went limp, head sinking to her chest. Damn him! "Can you at least make this nice for me?"

She didn't even want to look at him. That no doubt smug look on his face as he unwrapped the bandages from his head.

"You can do better than that." Even his voice sounded smug.

Fists balled in her lap, eyes clenched. "Please," she said through grit teeth. That despicable human being!

"Can I touch you?" His voice soft and serious. Shouldn't he be gloating?

"Just do it already," she bit and his hand was on her cheek instantly, softly turning her to face him. Her breath caught in her lungs when she saw him. All close, stern.

"I'll let that slide this time, but you better work on your tone. I'll kiss you now, that alright?" So close, his breath clean. Still, she wanted to punch him in the face. _Let it slide,_ just who did that barbarian think he was?

"Yes, please," she breathed instead. And then his chapped lips were on hers and her head spun like the day Mihawk had taught them how to sample wine. His grey eye trained on hers as if trying to get her attention, before slowly fluttering shut and even though she wanted to keep hers open, to stay alert, she followed suit. Her belly tumbled when he sucked on her upper lip, she leaned in, closer, more.

His hand slipped down her neck, thumb resting on her jaw and with a hot chill she became aware that she was nothing but a twig for him to break, those calloused hands easily able to snap her neck and she just didn't care because her heart was beating in her throat and her belly was doing weird things and her kitty pulsed with happiness.

He pulled back, their lips sticking to one another for one more enjoyable second and if it weren't for his hands on her face keeping her focused she would have felt cold and lost.

"Undress for me," he murmured and the snarky voice in her head wondered if he just had no idea how to open her corset. That voice quieted under his stare. He knew, and if he didn't he'd cut it from her body so she better get to work. Maybe, if this wasn't so new for her, if her body wasn't bursting with excitement, with nerves, she would have given him a harder time. She liked to think so. The next time he could stare at her as much as he wanted. The next time she'd let that snarky voice do the talking but just this once… just for now she would give him the benefit of the doubt. Would assume that he knew what he was doing and that it was in her best interest to follow his… his advice, because if she accepted it as the demand, the order that it might have been intended as, her arms would cross over her chest, her head would turn away from him to pout. But it was advice, had to be, so she pulled the ribbon in her back to loosen the lacing, so she could push the front pieces together and unhook them.

She didn't look at him as she unbuttoned her cute frilled blouse, but felt his eye on her. That evil grey eye that was so unlike anything she had ever wished in a boyfriend. Her boyfriend was supposed to have cute black eyes, like the buttons on her dolls. In general he wasn't what she had made her prince out to be. It didn't really matter. She could always find herself a cute boy who would kiss the ground she walked on, worship the air she breathed, while keeping brutish Roronoa as a boytoy on the side if he proved himself useful today, since he really wasn't relationship material. Not at all cute enough. But even she couldn't deny that he had a certain effect on her, not anymore, not now that she was sitting on his bed undressing for him after her first kiss ever that really wasn't as revolting as she had thought it would be.

When she brushed the pink blouse from her shoulders she was surprised she didn't feel ashamed. Somehow it felt like she should be, but she had always liked her breasts. Not too small, not too big and her nipples were a cute pink… pinkish. And if they weren't… She looked up at him, surprised to see him not ogle her goods like a neanderthal but meeting her gaze as if he hadn't looked away once. He didn't care what they looked like.

Of course he hadn't looked yet. He wasn't interested in stealing a glance, she knew that, could see it in the intensity of his stare. The blush on her cheeks flared as she realised that when he looked -because he would- it wouldn't be a shy glance while she was busy otherwise. He wanted her to know that she was on display for him, wanted her to see just what he thought of her and just like that the embarrassment came over her again. She got up and turned away from him, just in time to see the smug grin on his face and while she took off her skirts and panties she felt torn; she wanted to turn around, to shove her assets in his face, embarrass him for a change, prove to him that his stupid mindgames weren't working on her.

They did work though, and she wanted to hollow him just because she would have never imagined that his brain would be capable of playing her like that. He was an utter idiot the best of times!

Fists balled at her sides she sighed in defeat. He won. No matter what she did, he won this game. If she left now if she stayed…

Lifting her chin in defiance she turned around, eyes closed tightly. If there was no way for her to win this game anyway he better make it enjoyable or she'd hollow him 'til kingdom come.

Obediently she opened her eyes at his prompting. Cursing this weird coaxing, encouraging authority of his for _not_ raising her hackles and _not_ immediately urging her to rebel.

His gaze was burning and she briefly wondered how that cool grey of his eye could be so hot as he deliberately took his time to look at her body. She begged it to stop trembling under his scrutiny, she couldn't give him that satisfaction now could she? He'd never let her live that down! Or maybe he would, because this wasn't the same brute she knew. He wasn't this awkward, lanky boy with anger issues anymore, and he certainly wasn't that half depressed shadow or a warrior he had arrived as. Ever since this… thing between them had started it was like he suddenly knew what to make of her apart from his unwilling nurse and a nuisance. He was… like in his element, just as sure as he was while fighting.

He still made fun of her any chance he got, but if she was being honest she might have instigated more of those verbal matches than him because just maybe he might have been right with his assumption that she tried to remind herself he wasn't cute, but… he hadn't once used one of his newly learned secrets against her. Right, so he wouldn't make fun of her for shaking under his hungry gaze, for not even knowing if it was out of embarrassment or giddiness…

He didn't, and it was kind of annoying. That he was being so mature about it. If he weren't she could have just left, because he deserved being left like that, but like this? She couldn't leave, that would be fleeing. Because she was scared.

She was, a little, and it should have put her at ease that she relaxed when he looked at her like that, all approving and encouraging, but it kind of scared her even more. Like he had cast some weird form of magic over her, because she really didn't behave like herself right now. She wasn't shy, she wasn't insecure, she was loud and boisterous, she took what she wanted. But now she stood there butt naked in front of a man that was nothing at all like what she wanted and who was still as fully clothed as he ever got around here, sitting on his bed staring at her like a pervert.

It made her hot and tingly all over and it really shouldn't.

He held an arm out to her and she hesitated. If she came to him now she wouldn't be able to turn back, right?

"You know, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. A cute girl like me really shouldn't be with a brute like you. I mean technically we're enemies, aren't we? What would your captain think? Honestly, this is-"

Had he just rolled his eye at her? Oh, the nerve of that man!

He sighed. "Quit stalling, Perona, either come here or go back to your room, but for fuck's sake, put your clothes back on this time."

So, that was it? "Shouldn't you like, seduce me or something?" She pouted, realising that despite her indecision she was a bit upset by his reaction, or lack thereof. Even more so when he scoffed at her.

"What do you want to hear, sweet Mellorine? That you're the most beautiful woman to have ever walked the earth? Tough. Fucking. Luck princess, you're stranded with the wrong fucking Strawhat. Probably would be a lie anyway," he grunted and swung his legs over the bed's edge, coming to sit right in front of her. And even though her breasts were literally right in his face he opted to look her in the eye instead. It was a bit disheartening, because somehow she had liked how he had looked at her before her nerves had gotten the best of her.

"What I _can_ tell you, is that I want to fuck you and that it's about high time someone taught you some fucking manners."

She should go, she really really should, because nobody was supposed to talk to her like that and especially not during her first time. She couldn't though, because he had his rough hands on her hips and she was straddling his lap before she had even noticed she had moved. He hadn't pulled her, she was sure, he wouldn't do that. It wouldn't be a win for him if she didn't come on her own after all, right?

She turned away from him, didn't want to see the victory dancing on his stupid face. When his hands traveled up her body, just barely grazing the swell of her breasts, the slight scratches of his callouses didn't feel as bad as the first time he had touched her and the goosebumps running down her arms probably betrayed her. Not that it made a difference. As close as they were right now, he could probably hear her heartbeat frantically hammering in her chest and smell the disgusting slime coming from her kitty.

They came to rest on her face again and she hated how much this weirdly gentle touch calmed her frayed nerves. How easily it made her turn back to him to look at his stupidly attractive, serene face.

"Good," he said and her belly fluttered for whatever reason, it wasn't like she cared about what the brute thought of her.

"From now on I won't stop if you babble, I won't stop if you squirm or scream, I won't stop if you start cursing me and I won't stop for any negative hollows your bratty ass sends my way," he declared, her face still firm in his hands, his voice a low rumble against her lips that made goosebumps spread all over her skin. She should be afraid, right? Her heart did beat fast as if in panic but even she had to admit that with all the flutters in her belly it was probably anticipation.

"But if you tell me to stop, I will. So don't do it lightly. That alright with you, Perona?" He asked and she knew that just pouting wouldn't do this time and she wouldn't put it past him to throw her over his shoulder and carry her back to her own room if she didn't answer, or didn't answer correctly.

"Fine." She huffed.

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**Now I hope you enjoyed this, please let me know what you think about it. **

**And talking about feedback, there's something I feel the need to address: **  
**Over the past few months, I've become friends with many fanfic authors so I know I'm not being overly dramatic if I'm saying your feedback is our motivation. **  
**We all would like to write for ourselves, and sure we do that to an extent, but to put so much work and thought (and I'm really not talking about myself here, I'm usually just typing away) into a fic and not getting any response… It hurts. We love what we do and we like to think you also like it.**  
**What you read here in a few minutes takes days and sometimes weeks to create, we use our free time for that, we don't get paid (Except for the big ones with maybe). We don't expect a deep analysis of our writing or anything, they are nice, yeah, sure, but sometimes a "thank you" is enough and it won't really hurt you will it? Not gonna lie, I've rarely commented before I started writing myself, always thought there was nothing to say they didn't already know… but there is, "Thank you, I enjoy this story/ I appreciate the work you put into this/ This one scene where… was fun/etc" Nobody is expecting essays but even a simple heart can really pull us up! **  
**Whining isn't very attractive, I get that, so don't comment on this chapter if you don't feel like it, but I'm sure there's lot's of other fics you follow, so keep this in mind for them!**

**Last but not least, thanks to Ghost for beta reading and Onlyafraidoffear (wtf fanfiction, I'm not even allowed to link to your own site? Sorry guys you'll have to search yourself) for commenting and taking away all my insecurities and disappointment. They do have a few One Piece stories I've been too chicken to check out yet (I'm sorry!), but they might be right up your alley!**  
**I'll see you all next week to the rest of this scene!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hallo and welcome back! Huge thanks to ghost for beta reading and both ghost and Lachanophobic for the moral support. **

**Speaking of her, I'm really kinda glad we don't have established couples in One Piece. I mean I've heard that some shippers can get really intense, but it's really nice that I never had to deal with people who insist on their OTP to the point of stopping a fic just because it mentions eventual past lovers. Sure, only a few followed me here from Shôganai, but nobody complained when I mentioned this relationship in the story and for that I'm really grateful! **

**Anyways, if you checked it out last time, The Mandragora Prince got a new chapter and it's really fun thanks to a innuendo dropping Radditz. **

**Well, onto the chapter, have fun!**

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**Last time we had some foreplay and laid down some groundrules. Since I cut the chapter I'll give your memory a little help, this is how the last chapter ended:**

**"_From now on I won't stop if you babble, I won't stop if you squirm or scream, I won't stop if you start cursing me and I won't stop for any negative hollows your bratty ass sends my way," he declared, her face still firm in his hands, his voice a low rumble against her lips that made goosebumps spread all over her skin. She should be afraid, right? Her heart did beat fast as if in panic but even she had to admit that with all the flutters in her belly it was probably anticipation. _**

_**"But if you tell me to stop, I will. So don't do it lightly. That alright with you, Perona?" He asked and she knew that just pouting wouldn't do this time and she wouldn't put it past him to throw her over his shoulder and carry her back to her own room if she didn't answer, or didn't answer correctly. **_

_**"Fine." She huffed.**_

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He laughed. The brute actually had the audacity to laugh at her! As if it wasn't bad enough that she did want this, did he have to make it so damn difficult? Couldn't he just throw her on the bed and get this over with? Wasn't that how things were supposed to go? On second thought… he hadn't seemed all that thrilled with what she had learned about other stuff… and just maybe she was a little happy with this? Not that she would let him manhandle her like she'd seen in the magazines but she might have been a little bit afraid of that? It was still weird though, him being all gentle and careful…

"Fine," he agreed and his hands were moving down her sides again, one touching her breast and his alert eye on her led her to believe that it wasn't on accident. He barely seemed to do things on accident -apart from getting lost, of course- even the stupid stuff he seemed intent to do… she really shouldn't be doing this with a guy like him… But then his lips were on hers again and her eyes closed on their own and all she could do was feel. Feel his rough hands on the back of her head, against the swell of her butt, feel his upper body flush against hers, feel the heat coming from him and feel the beat of her own heart in her throat. When he stood up her legs wrapped around his waist as if they knew where this was going. Somehow she had expected them to tumble to the bed, but he lowered her slowly and carefully to the mattress, lips not leaving hers once and she might have to admit that it wasn't entirely bad that he basically solely consisted of ugly, brutish muscle. Maybe they even felt nice under her fingers, as they fluently moved beneath skin that could definitely use some moisturizer.

His lips left hers after a quick peck of goodbye, before trailing down her jaw, her throat and she wasn't really sure if it was supposed to make her feel this hot? Was it cute that he used the back of his hand to caress her instead of the rough palm of it?

He didn't touch her breasts… probably because she kind of wanted him to. His hand brushed down the sides, his mouth only trailed between them.

Maybe he didn't like them? They didn't really look all that cute when she was lying on her back. They didn't stand perkily, but fell a bit to the side… maybe that wasn't normal? He didn't care about stuff like that, did he?

She gasped when the stubble from his chin scratched over her skin right where her hipbone began. Why did it make her so … queasy? No that wasn- his hand came to rest on her right breast… it was the prettier one of the two and was just a bit too- no her breasts were perfect and cute, it was his brutish hand that was too big. How was it that his rough and clumsy paw felt so good there; squeezing, kneading… none of his should ever feel that good for-

Why did he stop? She pried open her eyes she hadn't even realized she'd closed, to see him sitting there between her legs, the fingers of the hand that had moments ago still been on her breast lightly resting on her upper thigh as he stared.

Oh god, he wasn't lost, was he? That couldn't possibly… no… she had seen him lost and usually, it showed in irritation of confusion, but that wasn't what she saw on him now.

It was amusement. The moment she realised she wanted to snap her legs shut and heat of a whole different kind spread over her cheeks. Of course, he saw the bandaid! That stupid pink, glittery bandaid. Well, she couldn't have known that he'd take so much time with this! And maybe she shouldn't have tried shaving again when she hadn't expected him to take his time anyway…

"Did you dress it up for me?" He asked with that damned boyish grin of his, but didn't give her time for a witty remark because she felt his hands under her butt propping her up before pushing his whole stupid face down there, making her gasp in embarrassment as much as in surprise.

She could hear his deep intake of breath and covered her face with her hands. This had been a mistake. She should tell him to stop. Right?

Why did he have to sniff like that? Stupid mutt. That wasn't normal, couldn't be! Her eyes widened when her whole body exploded in weird tingles when his lips brushed against her sensitive skin down there. Ohhh, kisses on the kitty? Like … she could understand how that was one of zombie nurse's favourite! Was it alright to tell him she wanted more of this? Could she tell him to stop teasing and do something even though she didn't exactly know what that something was? Neither his lips nor his ugly hooky nose ever touched that bit of her that felt the hottest. That bit that she'd tried touching before. That bit that had made her shudder when he had accidentally brushed against while he'd shaved her there. He had to know that it would feel good there right? He didn't have many redeeming qualities but he was good with observations.

She did a tiny embarrassing moan when he finally did find his way there. Lips closing around it and gently sucking it in. She wasn't sure but maybe that following hum of his was a reaction to her moan? Did he like the sound she'd made? What an embarrassing thought! She couldn't just…

Teeth grazed her skin there, not painful, but she had to slap a hand over her mouth to keep that undignified yelp from leaving her throat. She felt him chuckle against her and it made her all fluttery inside and a little scared when he freed one hand from under her butt to gently pull her hand from her face. He didn't really do gentle normally, did he? Even though he'd been nothing but this night…

"I like your voice like this," he murmured against her, mouth not leaving its place right there where she wanted it and immediately resumed his gentle kisses and sucks and licks.

This wasn't right. Wasn't like him. The brute would never be this gentle, would he? He had promised dirty, right? Why did it feel so good?

He stopped, looked up at her, cold air hitting her kitty. His eyebrow rose in question, made her think whether or not she had voiced her doubts, but she was sure she hadn't!

"It's weird if you're so nice," she blurted.

"It's weird if you're not complaining," he shot back with a boyish grin that wasn't cute at all and turned predatory in an instant. It didn't make her tingle.

"Now don't worry, princess, we'll just get that cherry popping over with and I promise I'll fuck you like a dirty slut."

Red shot up to her cheeks. When had her body started to react to that low rumble of his like that? And why wasn't she offended by his crude words? Why was she looking forward to that?

She should hollow him. She definitely would have in the past… but if she were to hollow him now… he'd stop doing that thing with his mouth for good, right? She liked it when he did that and briefly she wondered if that was a general thing people did or if it was just because he used his mouth for fighting. She should have taken a closer look back on Thriller Bark, because this was definitely not just kissing the kitty as she had thought. It would be a shame if she couldn't find someone else to do that thing with their mouth…

He looked at her just a moment longer, before going back down again, and she gasped when his wetted lips met that sensitive spot again, drawing it in his hot mouth and he greeted it with his even wetter, even hotter tongue. She jumped when he put one dry, prickly finger at her Kitty's entrance, drawing it through her wetness which would hopefully compensate for the fact that the brute probably couldn't even spell manicure.

Cold, irrational fear washed over her when he pushed it inside and she chastised herself for the reaction. She wasn't a child, she knew things were going inside the kitty during this! But it felt so weird, so foreign and it made her even more tingly when he started moving it inside of her. She felt like thrashing, like doing something, to alleviate, to get rid of all that weird energy coursing through her body, and like when Mihawk had taught them about wine she felt like putting a leg on the floor to ground herself. She buried her hands in his hair instead, pressed him closer. She could deal with the consequences later, but right now, all hot inside, she needed him to anchor herself because she felt like flying.

Her arms grew cold while her kitty became so hot she was afraid for a moment. Her heartbeat both in her throat and right there, where his mouth was still sucking, licking and definitely not just kissing and where his finger -fingers?- pumped into her. She forced her eyes open, wanted to see him, to ask him. Was this heat normal, was the cold in her limbs, the tickling in her body normal? Or was he sucking her soul right out of her? But she couldn't, it was too late to stop it, as hard as she fought to keep that tickling, rumbling wave at bay, her legs clamped around the green head between, her eyes screwed shut as her hips lifted up, to just get a little closer! She cried out in a voice that couldn't possibly be her own and her eyes rolled back in her head and she was just a little scared that she might be dying right there on his bed that smelled way too good to be his.

Fingers still firmly wedged inside of her, she felt him pulling himself up to eye level with her and she did her best not to thrash around at the overstimulation as the ridges of his abdominals rubbed against her right there.

Prying her eyes open she stared right into his and she knew without a doubt that he had watched her every move. Of course, the pervert liked to watch.

"You good?" He asked and she knew what he was asking with his oh-so-eloquent words. If he could, if he should, if she really wanted him to because he was a freaking liar and granted her second chances at every turn despite his initial threat.

How was she supposed to know if she was ready or not? Wasn't he the expert on this? Or was this not about her body? No, she wasn't ready, but did it matter? Somehow she knew that it did matter to him, as out of character as that might seem… was it though? This wasn't the same grump that got lost walking a straight line; he was different, mature somehow. And it really didn't seem like a bad idea to lose her virginity to him.

She was stuck here, no prince charming would come to save her from infinite boredom and all she had for company was a brooding grandpa and a brutish, strangely accommodating oaf. An ugly oaf that quite frankly had model qualities if compared to the few princes she had seen in her life.

Did it matter that he didn't care about her? No, she didn't care about him either, but she liked to think that they trusted each other, that they were friends, despite infuriating each other beyond what should be possible.

She had heard from broken hearts and broken promises. He hadn't promised her anything, hadn't lured her in under false pretences. He had offered. And she was sick of waiting and there sure could he better choices, but they were out of reach and she could admit now with his hot body up against hers and his grey eye trained on her, that there definitely were worse candidates. He'd done good so far, hadn't he?

She nodded her consent and sighed when he pulled his fingers out of her, which seemed kind of contradictory to her, wasn't that good enough for him? Did he want her to beg for it or- oh. Right, condoms, she had forgotten. How could she have forgotten about those? She didn't want all those weird diseases he probably carried and she didn't want his ugly brute babies either. He fumbled with the package like the oaf he was and for a moment she was afraid he'd rip the condom itself apart. Tip pinched between his fingers and with minimal wrinkling of his nose at the powerful cherry scent that now permeated the air, he put it on his thing and rolled the rubber down, making it look a lot more casual and less lewd than the old lady in the shop had.

She just wondered for a moment when he had even taken his pants off before she felt his impossibly hot thing press against her and she was just relieved to see that this heat she felt was apparently a normal thing with all this. He shoved inside of her like the damn brute he was and she screwed her eyes shut at the unexpected pain that she really should have been expecting. She just wasn't used to feeling pain of any kind...

When it subsided and she slowly inched her eyes open she was scared for a moment. Maybe even terrified. He was utterly frozen on top of her, eye-piercing something above her head with almost horrifying intensity and she winced when her muscles clamped down around him in sudden fright.

"Call it off. I won't have you hollow me while I'm still inside you and you've only felt pain."

She hadn't even noticed it and somewhere in her mind she could vaguely hear alarm bells going off at the fact that he had just intimidated one of her negative hollows enough for it to give up on protecting her.

She didn't care. Not right now. Not while feeling so weirdly full and craving more friction where his mouth had been before, she could worry about that later. Her Hollow poofed from existence and she wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing, now that his attention was on her again. She felt small, that dark gaze of his made her feel so, so small. Not in a cute way. Weak, helpless almost.

Maybe because she was helpless… he was huge, and not only because he was a head taller than her, but he was also like twice her size if not more. Would he crush her if he laid down on her? His arms were as thick as her thighs, could he even control his strength in a situation like this? The old lady had said it was about losing control… she was doing good in that case, because she really had neither control nor any clue on how to act. Why did she have so many limbs she didn't know what to do with? Should she just touch him? Hug him? Wasn't that too intimate?

"Touch me, will you?" He asked, his voice all dark and raspy and it gave her insides that happy little jolt again. "Not sure what you've been into on Thriller Bark but I ain't into corpses," and he ruined it. She was ready for retaliation when his rough hand landed on her side, making goosebumps spring to life while it wandered down her hip, brushing over the curve of her butt, to hook under her thigh and lifting it up and she curled her leg over his hairy butt. She should be disgusted by it but she wasn't because it was soft and tickled just a little bit when her leg moved… way better than his actual caress, with all those disgusting callouses of his, so she hooked her other leg up as well and gasped when it somehow made it slip in deeper.

He pulled back then and even though he was still very much inside, it made her feel a bit empty. A bit like flying again, this weird void in her belly. She liked that, liked flying so she flexed her legs around his hips to get him go deeper again and when he did it felt like flying again but without the void! Even though he was still an idiot, he didn't need any more prompting after that, rolled his hips against hers and with every roll coarse hair and skin rubbed against where his mouth had been and it made her kitty all hot again. Just a little bit more… friction? She lifted her hips to meet his, faltering only when he changed his rhythm or his angle and she just couldn't help her mouth falling open and the most embarrassing noises falling from her lips. How did he do that? It was as if with every thrust of his hips he pushed out the air from her lungs with the most lewd noises accompanying it! And he didn't! He just breathed a little louder than normal! So this wasn't normal?

Again she clamped her hand over her mouth, if she granted him her first time she sure wouldn't let him embarrass her any further! He stopped and with him the delicious friction of their ugly bits that fueled heat in her body and made her mind go blankish. It should be a good thing, because it let her think like normal, and she didn't have to try so hard to get her thoughts together, but it wasn't! Her body grew cold and that bubbly feeling in her belly that had become so wonderful and all-consuming when he'd been with his head between her legs, just slowly ebbed away while he was just hovering over her frowning with his ugly face.

"I won't repeat myself," he grunted and it brought weird shivers down her spine as if her body couldn't decide whether it was scared by that or liked it in a similar form to the kisses on her kitty. He lowered himself down on her and despite knowing that he had to be looking like an awkward heap on top of her because of their height difference, with the ridges of his lower belly flush against hers and his hot breath right at her ear she knew that it wasn't fear that had made her shudder.

"Don't hold your voice back," he grumbled and pushed himself up again, accentuating his instructions with a hard jab of his hips that made her cry out despite the hand clamped over her mouth, but other than that he kept still. Infuriatingly so, while all the pleasure he had made her feel before slowly left her body, making her feel cold.

Hesitantly she took her hand from her mouth, telling herself adamantly that she'd make it more difficult for him next time, that this was an exception because it was new for her and placed it instead on his forearm, feeling all those cute little scars under her fingertips.

It was mortifying how quick her thoughts started to jumble again when he resumed those shallow thrusts, how easily he made her cry out just because he surprised her with a quick jab or another angle and it was infuriating that he didn't just keep doing those things that made her scream and thrash. Instead, he kept her there, just short from the explosion from before and never giving enough for her to actually get there. Just making it swell and ebb like the tide, filling her mind with cotton and her belly with butterflies and crickets. Her fingers dug into his skin and neither seemed to mind and… then he looped his arms under her shoulders, steadying her thrashing head in his brutish, rough hands while her own took to dig into his shoulders.

"Look at me."

She opened her clenched eyes and gasped in surprise this time. He was pretty. It almost made her coil in disgust at herself, but as he was swaying over her, hair still mussed from her hands earlier, a light sheen of sweat, mouth hanging open…. No, he still looked like the same idiot brute, she just maybe didn't mind as much… couldn't mind because her brain wasn't working properly, stuffed with clouds.

"You were supposed to ask nicely for my cock and you didn't. You better beg for your orgasm now."

Her eyes widened, that… that degenerate! She would not beg for anything! And of him least of all! But then he slowed his thrusts again and in place of the coils and butterflies in her belly profound dread rose in her chest. He would do that. That vile creature would just leave her there, throbbing and wanting! And she didn't want that! She would go insane if he left her like that! For sure she would! Tears prickled in her eyes and she wanted to turn away from him, so if she had to beg she at least didn't have to look at him, but his hands weren't giving her even an inch and she knew it wouldn't count it if she didn't look. Because he was cruel like that.

So she tried to just look through him as she begged for him to make her kitty feel good like before, pleaded for him to not just pull his thing out and finish like he had before and he scoffed. He made her embarrass herself like that and had the audacity to scoff!

"Don't play all cute and innocent, you fully intended to sit on my face when you wanted to bandage my hands. Now be a good girl and beg like an adult," he rumbled, slowing his thrusts even more and going even less deep and still, those coils and butterflies returned just because of his rough voice vibrating through her body. That voice that had been grating on her nerves from day one and that wasn't cute at all but somehow she was coming to the conclusion that cute wasn't what she wanted for this kind of relationship.

So with red cheeks, she begged in all the ugly words she knew, words he used, words she'd heard from zombie nurse and Absalom. Begged for him to fuck her good, to fill her cunt and to make her cry and moan like a filthy slut. Begged him to please, please, please make her cum on his filthy, dirty cock.

Made him grin, made him praise her and call her a good girl and it made her chest swell in pride that she shouldn't be feeling for pleasing a brute like him, but it didn't matter. Didn't matter at all because he smacked his hips into hers, rolled them over her sweet spot while his cock melted her from the inside, brushing over that one area that made her yelp and thrash over and over and with precision she wouldn't have expected from someone as directionally challenged as him.

He kept her head in his hands, stayed close and now she didn't care whether or not this was too intimate for what they were because his heat was almost searing as he made her rear against him, as he made her keen and cry and drag her nails over his back. Her belly coiled tight again, maybe even tighter than before and her legs slipped from his thighs to stretch behind him in an attempt to distribute the tension more evenly because right now she felt as if her body was about to snap. Her muscles tight all over as she wasn't sure if he had gotten bigger or if she had muscles there, too, but it didn't matter because it made it feel even better.

He strained over her, she could feel his muscles quiver under her fingers. The weird coldness of her limbs returned and this time she knew just how very close she was as her legs stretched even more, painful almost, her hips rose and her belly coiled and coiled. She heard him grunt over her, press deep inside of her with a curse, but her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her neck strained as far as his hands allowed and she felt him pulse inside of her and the world exploded.

When the blackness and the stars receded from her vision he was there, panting on her neck, his strong heartbeat hammering against her chest. He smelled better than she wanted to admit and she blamed the cold room for the sudden feeling of loss she felt when he propped himself up over her.

One hand on his thing he pulled back and it was fine as long as it was only his somewhat hard thing but then more dripped out and it was soft and squishy and -oh god that was disgusting. Like some worm or slug just falling out of her.

He scoffed at her. "Get yourself checked out by a doc and get some drugs and you don't have to deal with that," he said and she didn't hesitate for a second.

He rolled off of her, crumbling to the floor a defeated sobbing mess with three of her hollows giggling around him.

Stupid brute, she'd been a virgin like five minutes ago! If anyone needed to get checked by a doctor it was him…. Could check permanent brain damage right along with it!

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I**'ll have you know, the working title of this chapter was "popping the ghost cherry" and I thank Rexica for that... Right I need to thank her too... You wouldn't believe all the people I whined to about this! I hope the result was alright at least, please let me know with a comment! I'm also always open for constructive criticism, so don't be shy. I'm sure writing for fun (and recognition, I'm definitely a slut for kudos and such, no use denying it) but also to improve, which I can't if I don't get honest feedback. Anyways, the next chapter isn't done yet and I'm struggling a bit (again) so I can't promise an update next week. But I'll keep everyone posted on my twitter at nitwentyone**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hallo and welcome Back!**  
**I apologize in advance for this chapter, it's been a brat and I'm afraid I lack the dominance to tame it.**  
**Speaking of dominance uh... I might have forgotten to mention something? A teeny tiny detail? I kinda assumed that most my readers would know me by now, or at least saw Shôganai pop up in their search and all so I might have just assumed (Yeah yeah, don't assume anything, I know) that it went without saying that this would be a BDSM thing so... I'm sorry? I mean I wasn't all that subtle about it and you probably already knew since you made it til here, so... I don't know, hope you have fun either way.**

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**Last time things happened, fun things, sexy things (I hope). Now its time for Perona to deal with the aftermath and to get a few uh... formalities out of the way!**

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Weeks have passed since their tryst, and she was fine with it. He had spent four days pouting, which really was a relief. He'd also gotten lost on the island 31 times and within the castle a whole of 17 times and while it peeved her that she had lost her virginity to such an idiot, such a child, it also put her at ease… He may be way better at this whole sex thing than she was, but she was pretty sure her pride wouldn't be able to bounce back from that if he were like that outside of the bed. So him being an idiot really was preferable to him being all mature and calm and all that.

What had vexed her was that even after he was done with moping about her hollows he still didn't show any interest in her. He was supposed to want her. Or was his interest over now that he'd had her? Was this that thing with the broken promises? He hadn't promised her more than one time… but it.. stung that that was all there'd be? As if she wasn't good enough for the brute… he should be happy she had allowed him anywhere near her! But no matter how much she tried to convince herself, it stung.

On the seventh day at dinner, she'd informed them that she'd be gone for a bit longer on her next shopping trip because she wanted to see a doctor, a piece of information that for some reason had made Mihawk-chan freeze midbite but didn't seem to phase the brute.

She had almost given up, made peace with the thought that he was no longer interested in any of this. Which was fine! Totally and completely fine! She didn't want that brute again either! He hadn't made her feel good at all!

But then, one hour before her planned departure he had shown up in her room and she could swear he was surprised to actually have found it, offering his own blood to get it tested alongside hers to give her peace of mind.

_Didn't_ make her take a deep breath of relief, but she also couldn't find it in her to snap at him and tell him that she wasn't interested. No matter what she had told herself over his past days of blatant disinterest, now that he was there in all his stupidity she really couldn't lie to herself any longer. She wanted him to make her feel good again. She wanted to feel his rough skin under her fingertips… she wanted all of that… but she definitely wouldn't make it this easy this time.

So she had taken a vial of his blood with her to the annoying hag that brought her to the physician that was considerably less horrible than the hag. When she returned she made a point of stopping by the idiot to make clear that they both were indeed safe, which he acknowledged with an eloquent grunt and that was it.

That was really it, it had been another two weeks, and he hadn't done shit!

It wasn't as if she wanted to do _that_ with the ugly brute again, but for the odd chance that she might someday decide that she did… everything was better than that slug thingy falling out of her!

But honestly? No. She had enough of this. Hanging around and waiting everyday. There was just nothing she could do around here! The old man had suggested she started cleaning if she was so bored… ridiculous! She was a princess in her own right, they should be happy she made food occasionally and stitched the idiot up over and over again. But that really was all there was to her routine. Sleep, make breakfast, watch the idiot getting lost, watch the fights, sew a plushy or two together, sew the idiot brute back together, help old man Mihawk prepare dinner while the brute finally agreed to shower the grime off his paling skin, wait for some form of invitation and get to bed where she'd toss and turn and replay what had happened between them. She was sick of it. If it was a one time thing, fine. But letting her wait like that? Unacceptable. It was time to break this off.

She floated into his room where he was sitting on the bed again reading _another_ book. He was even less cute than usual when he insisted on pretending that he had a brain like that.

"I also don't want to do that thing with you anymore!" she exclaimed with her pointer finger in his face, but he didn't even look up.

"What do you mean?" He asked all impassive and she huffed.

"Well, what do you think I mean, you stupid brute?! I don't want your disgusting thing in my cute kitty again."

"Whatever."

What- whatever? "Whatever?! What are you, a child?"

The book snapped shut between his hands, the noise making her flinch but she couldn't leave. Her eyes widened when realisation dawned that there were burning hot fingers digging into her jaw. Black fingers. Panic rose in her guts and she thrashed in his hold, wincing when he just tightened his grip. She shouldn't hurt in this form!

His eye was dark as it drilled through her.

"Your general bitchiness must have rubbed off," he drawled, "I'm not the one being childish either. This has nothing to do with you not wanting my _disgusting_ _thing_ anywhere near you. You are just pouting because I'm not trailin' after you like some fucking puppy. I told you before, if you want my cock up your cunt, you're gonna come here, knock on the fucking door and ask me for it like a good girl."

What was it with the brute and his dark promises that made her all giddy all the time? And in her ghost form again, and even though he was hurting her? She had no doubt that upon return her body would be wet again. What an infuriating individual! He let go of her and she just kept hovering there for a moment. Not because she was frozen in fear or anything logical like that, but because she… because she missed the touch? How? She left him with a huff, not caring to look back to see him look all smug or whatever.

As predicted her body was all tingly and slimy and maybe, just maybe she should be happy that her first boytoy of choice seemed to know exactly how to make it so. What she really wasn't happy about was the how. He was rude, he was rough and not - well she had given up on the cute part some time between first and second orgasm that night…

Her fingertips ghosted over her soft cheeks. Had she been in her normal form she was sure she'd have bruises by now. Would he have been this rough if she'd been there in the flesh? Most likely, she didn't call him a brute for nothing after all. Did he enjoy that? Also possible, he seemed to enjoy weird stuff, like that weird Powerplay before she caved or… Zombie nurse never had to beg like that…

Zombie nurse was never called a good girl either though… not that she cared what the brute thought of her. But.. maybe it had been nice to be appreciated like that. In fact, she should have been called a good girl way sooner! So she liked it when people praised her, something completely normal actually. It had nothing to do with the brute or the happiness erupting between her thighs at the thought of it. Everyone liked praise.

It would be entirely too early to knock on his door again, wouldn't it? Yes, definitely. She'd sworn to herself that she wouldn't make it that easy for him again!

Well.. maybe asking wouldn't mean losing. She could still give him trouble afterwards.

Half a week later she found herself in front of his room, freshly showered and hoping he'd done the same. Her knuckles banged hard against the wooden door in an attempt to make it look less meek and more demanding. The moment the door snapped open all her hopes were crushed into tiny little pieces, as it left her face to face with a chest crusted with dirt and blood and grime and whatever else one could imagine. The idiot looked confused to see her there even though he shouldn't because he should have felt her. Or- she stepped back, two steps. He was downright reeking.

"Didn't expect you to make up your mind this fast," he grunted looking her up and down and she hated that she had taken the time to check her make up and double check her hair.

With a huff she stemmed her fists in her sides. "Well believe it or not, but I'm a grown woman that knows what she wants and that sure isn't an idiot that smells like a dead ferret!"

He laughed a hearty guffaw that definitely wasn't cute in any way and waved a hand full of spare clothing in her face. "Was about to change that," he said and started down the corridor towards their bath. "Are you coming or not? We have things to talk about," he called back just before she could get another huff out.

What was she? His dog? Most definitely not his pet, even though she hurried after him without another word.

By the time she caught up he was already naked. Hands clutched before her eyes she turned on her toes and she instantly regretted her indignant squeak when it was answered with a scoff. "Seriously?"

Hands fisted at her side she turned around again, made a point of looking him up and down to balance her initial reaction. Yes, seriously, what had she been thinking? She'd seen him naked often enough. With and without him knowing. "Looks funny when it's not big and ugly," she said with a haughty wave at his groin in what even she had to admit was a very sorry attempt to save face.

"You better get used to that sight if you keep hollowing me for no fucking reason," he muttered while stepping into the tub and only barely closing the curtain. Obviously, if he actually closed it there'd be less for her to mop up. Sometimes she wondered if he did it on purpose, but then she remembered he was an idiot.

"What did you want to talk about?" She asked while the water started and her mind's eye was immediately assaulted by the mental images of a hot water spray meeting exceedingly paling skin stretched over thick muscle that may or may not be nice to look at. That was probably the worst thing about all that. He changed her. Not her personality or anything, but the way she saw things. For a moment she hoped he'd fart or something, just so she could go back to being disgusted by him.

"Tell me what you liked."

Wha- what?

Was this what Zombie Nurse and Cindry had gossiped about? Men wanting their egos stroked after _it_? She hadn't pegged him to be this vain? This was even better than farting! She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "What? You want to hear praise after you lasted a mere five minutes max?" She called over the spray of the shower, because for the most part that had seemed to be the point of those discussions. Men lasting few minutes without pleasing their partners but still wanting to hear they were the greatest. Well, she had been pleased… but he didn't have to know that, especially not if he was being such a dick about it.

"That was hardly only 5 minutes." He shot back instantly.

"Right. Felt less!"

"Have you ever done something fun that felt like two hours?" He laughed, stepping out of the shower without a morsel of shame and most importantly without a towel so he could drip water everywhere. She regretted her decision to sit down on the closed toilet, coming eye to eye with the funny little thing. It really did look funny, like a naked mole rat with an off season choice of turtleneck on a mossy stone...his skin was darker there too, but not like the tan he'd come here with, less gold more a dirty brown. It really didn't even look like it was part of his body at all! With his hair dark and matted against his forehead he leaned down to her, wicked grin negating the silly look of his hair and making her tingle again. "And don't even try to tell me you didn't have fun, because I know for a fact that I fucked you good enough to make you sound like a human being instead of nails on a chalkboard."

She hadn't even noticed! He pulled away from her just as she felt the heat in her cheeks, and grabbed the towel closest to him to rub it through his hair that by now really needed to be cut again.

"I get that you don't want to talk about it, takes some getting used to," he claimed. She doubted the quick rub over his torso had much effect but was grateful nonetheless that he wound it around his waist to sit on the edge of the tub. "So I'll be talking and you'll be listening. Closely."

The brute was being weird. Again. It was a bit like when they had talked about their crews, but less heavy. She nodded because apparently stupid was contagious and she had forgotten that he stared straight ahead and not at her. "Fine," she agreed, a teeny tiny bit happy that her voice was perfectly cute.

"Fine," he chuckled and even though it had been weeks the memory wasn't lost on her either. "No idea what you've seen on thriller bark or at that weird sexshop you got those condoms from, but it might be fair to tell you I'm not into what most people are. I told you before, if you want to get cuddled and coddled I'm not the right choice for you. If you want my praise you'll have to work for that."

_Be a good girl._

"We are the only choice we have so I'm willing to tone it down for you, but I won't be soft and lenient like last time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked not at all peeved by the fact that he was an impolite brute that didn't even look at her while talking down on her all high and mighty.

He leaned back and for a moment she saw him falling and breaking his neck on the other side of the tub, but he reached back with those ridiculously muscled arms to grip the other edge and lean on them with ease that told of the strength in his core. Like when he had lowered them on the mattress. She looked away with a huff. No, just because he put on a show… she wouldn't fall for that again. Wouldn't follow those lines down his chest and to the towel! Absolutely not.

Eye fixed on the ceiling he sighed. "It means that you are welcome in my bed if you can play by my rules. If you break them I will discipline you however I see fit and you will thank me for it." She absolutely hated how cocksure he was about this. Hadn't phrased it as a question, just informed her. She hated how it made her kitty all excited even more.

She was right, she concluded, he was into weird stuff. All her speculations about the powerplay, the begging, the rough handling of her astral form earlier this week. All got him off. That sick idiot.

She should have left him in his room when she'd first thought of fleeing the scene. She didn't like pain and she didn't like being told what to do. She didn't like begging for something either. Made her feel so small and powerless and she wasn't anymore. She had been before Moria had found her. Alone, on her own, insignificant with only Kumae to keep her company. Moria had always made her feel wanted and appreciated and she never had to beg for anything… his praise had never made her that lightheaded and tingly, though. Did that mean she also liked weird stuff?

Heat crept up her cheeks when she felt his gaze on her, or maybe she'd already been blushing with the memory? Maybe it had been a good time he hadn't been looking at her, she had an inkling that she wouldn't have been able to concentrate on his words otherwise.

"You like the praise, I got that from last time. We can take it from there," he said letting his head roll back again to stare at the ceiling.

"I'm… I'm not sure about this," she admitted and he pushed himself upright again, which she was grateful for, much less distracting skin on display, but now she was under his scrutiny again and she didn't know how to feel about that either.

"'bout what?"

She cast her eyes down, fiddled with her fingers. How could she tell him if she didn't even know herself?

"Did you return to your body all hot and bothered the last time we talked?"

She hated it when he called her out like that! Didn't speak, didn't look up just gave a quick nod. Not that it was any of his business! Heat bloomed over her face again when he rested his clumsy paw on her head with a chuckle. "We'll be just fine in that case. I'll take care of you."

He left her where she was, furious blush on her face, heart beating in nervous anticipation and her kitty all tingly again. _I'll take care of you_. What did that mean? Didn't he want to talk to clarify? This hadn't helped at all! And how was he to take care of her if he'd clearly just walked out of the bathroom and immediately turned in the wrong direction? And with only the towel no less? His spare clothing lying forgotten in the sink and his torn smelly rags discarded on the floor. For her to pick up! If anyone was taking care of anyone it was her taking care of him!

With a barely suppressed scream she ran after him, fist raised for attack. This wasn't something for her hollows to deal with, this was personal! "You idiot didn't explain anything!"

Right before her fist was ready to connect she found herself with her back pressed against the stone wall, sharp edges digging through her thin blouse, and one rough, calloused hand around her neck to keep her in place. His face only inches away from hers, eye dark and piercing and she felt like she _should_ be afraid.

"With your childish reaction to my initial questions I didn't think you could deal with details, but I'm not gonna deny you this _request_," he said, grip tightening for emphasis and she knew that she should have asked. She felt her blood rush against his fingers, the situation vastly different from the last time he had her in such vulnerable position. Much more threatening than last time.

"If you come to my room and ask me for a fuck, I will use you, abuse you, humiliate you, and if you want me to I will destroy you. If you work hard and please me I will reward you and if you don't I will punish you. If you don't hollow me and run again I will not let you leave my room feeling all lonely and neglected again either."

So they weren't done last time? How did he know that this was how she initially felt anyway?

"Now if the thought of all that has your cunt dripping I'll expect you after dinner. If it doesn't I suggest you buy yourself more cola for your toys." He quipped before letting her go to sink down on the cold floor.

Such an idiot. And worst of all was that he was right. She looked after him, sauntering off in nothing but a towel to God knew where, while she sat there in dire need of a new pair of panties. None of his words had sounded nice. Or inviting. Still, she knew where she'd be spending five minutes of her night.

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**Hope you enjoyed this chapter despite not much happening? We just needed to establish some rules and Perona needed to know what she gets herself into. I know I've been slacking with my notes but please, if anything seems weird, outlandish or wrong to you while reading this fic and their playtimes especially, don't hesitate to ask and/or contact me, info is in my profile. **

**Thanks as always to Ghost who actually manage to beta this chapter in time even though I just so got it done by yesterday afternoon.**

**Please let me know what you think about this chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hallo and welcome back!**  
**Or maybe I should welcome myself because you might have spent a lot of time on this site lately... Sorry for the delay, I've been on vacation and while this chapter had been done for a while Ghost insisted that I better enjoy my vacation instead of uploading it and spending the days refreshing my emails like a lunatic in desperate need for praise from any of you. Anyways, thanks to Ghost for finally betaing and allowing me to be the shitty gardener I'm meant to be.**

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Dinner was weird. The fact that Mihawk, who always insisted on these 'family dinners' had excused himself to eat in his study was proof enough. Even weirder though, was that the idiot wasn't drinking. Now that he knew Haki and was allowed to drink again he should be drinking after all the whining he'd done. In fact he should have been totally shitfaced drunk the last week. And now he didn't even sip.

He ignored her for the most part while he scarfed down his dinner, now that Mihawk wasn't here to reprimand him for it. Her mistake in watching that disgusting display only registered when he put down his cutlery and with a resounding belch leaned back in his chair, eye trained on her. Damn pig…

"You're disgusting," she said, dabbing her mouth with a napkin before drinking from her wine. He laughed in her face.

"So what, you still want me to fuck you," he taunted, voice back to that weird… bedroom timbre that didn't make her knees weak. Ugh, she hated the brute for being right! With a pout she reached for the bottle -it was even the expensive stuff and he didn't drink!- but he was faster, snatching it away. "Easy on the alcohol, I want you aware and alert," he said, leaning back with one of his lazy smirks.

"Who the hell would want to be aware when they have your hideous mug in front of them!"

"Cute."

Stupid idiot brute! Why exactly did she want to do that with him again? Because he was infuriatingly good at it… how was he even good at that? The hag had told her not to worry if the first time wasn't any good, because people got better with practice. Now how the hell did an idiot that got lost on a straight line find people to practice with? She was pretty sure that it couldn't have been more than flings because the chances that he'd find his partner for a second time were basically nonexistent unless he was stuck with them on a tiny island he couldn't find his way off of. Or a ship. Had he been with the women of his crew? Obviously not with Nico Robin, because he was just too stupid to entertain a woman of intellect… not that she was stupid, but she'd been over that before… the only other woman was the navigator and she was pretty sure that if their hair got too close it would clash enough to blind people, and since before he'd been even more of a stupid idiot and had lost his eye to Mihawk-chan his eyesight had been just fine… So probably no experiences on the crew.

"How many women did you do that thing with?" She asked under scrunched up eyebrows. Obviously she only did it because she was truly desperate and there was nothing better around and maybe she even pitied him a bit? Definitely the only reason…

"Don't know. We come through lots of harbours," he shrugged.

She huffed around a piece of meat. So he really was just a stupid _fuckboy _like the hag had warned her …

"What about the two in your crew?" She asked and immediately regretted the underlying urgency that had pressed that question while he was drinking. Disgusting barbarian spat all over the table.

"Have you fucking seen Nami and Robin? They're fucking terrifying! Shitcook would have skinned me with a spoon, too, if I even thought about either of them the wrong way." He cursed, awfully defensive before calming down considerably. "Nami is like my sister and I really don't think either of them would want that kind of-" he trailed off, and there was something dark and grim in his voice, silent fury in his eye on their behalf.

She might have been naive in some regards but she understood loud and clear. She knew she'd been lucky that Moria-sama had taken her in as a daughter and kept her safe all these years. She put down her cutlery and dabbed her mouth again with the napkin in her lap before smiling at him.

"They are strong now and have family to keep them safe," she assured and the clouds lifted from his gaze and his shoulders relaxed. Wicked grin stretching over his lips. "Right, and honestly don't forget, they _are _fucking terrifying," he laughed.

Goddamn idiot brute was cute when he laughed like that. Maybe it was time to admit, that he wasn't only a good lay but also, actually a good guy… Infuriating.

So their navigator was his sister, but apart from the obvious he hadn't really said anything that spoke against the smart one… Apart from the obvious fact that such an intelligent person would never be interested in an idiot like him. If she could maybe talk him into an innocent little crush for her, that desperate pining might actually be more entertaining than the other things they did now… And it would give her an edge against him that she didn't have with the sex thing.

"So… you didn't say anything else against Nico Robin, are you intimidated by her age or her intellect?" she asked before nipping on her glass, an action that would have seemed much more condescending if he hadn't cut her off earlier.

His indignant sputtering was lovely though, made her very much remember that he indeed was not cute at all.

"Only prepubescent boys would be intimidated by age," he covered up, tried to anyways.

She looked at him with a finger on her chin. "So, did you just call yourself prepubescent or stupid?" She asked and he bristled like a wet cat at the insinuation.

"I'll fucking show you that I'm not, you fucking brat! And if you really want to know, yes Robin is hot as fuck, but that doesn't matter because I can't think of her that way, she's Nakama, and she sure as fuck wouldn't appreciate it if I lusted after her like the damn cook does. We're friends, we enjoy each other's company because we're the only two people on that fucking ship that know how to shut up for a moment and enjoy the quiet, that's all there ever will be, so stop your fucking meddling."

What a pity, it was fun to rile him up but with the way he'd said it… there was no story there no matter how the words could be interpreted. The tone was final, there was nothing there and there never would be unless she instigated it… and to use his words that sure as fuck wasn't going to happen.

"What's with the questioning anyways? Are you trying to set me up with Robin 'cuz you're afraid I'll fall in love with you just because we fuck?" He laughed, that loud unabashed laugh of his, the one she absolutely _didn't_ like. "Or are you afraid that _you_ will fall for an _idiot brute _like me, if I'm available?"

Ouch. "Who'd ever fall for a barbarian like you? I wouldn't even sleep with you if I had others to choose from," she huffed and he grinned. How did this turn on her so quickly?

"What, are _you _intimidated by age?" He asked with a cocked brow and the slightest nod to where Mihawk had sat few minutes ago.

That… that infuriating bastard! "No I am not? He's not my type is all. Also I'm pretty sure he's gay, have you seen that plume? And the sword sure is compensation for something," she huffed, incessantly hoping that the shichibukai didn't listen in on their conversation… Not that the idiot brute thought of any possible repercussions for gossiping about Mihawk-chan like that, he only sported that boyish grin on his face that never, not once, had made her stop to think that he might be cute. Not cute! "Don't look at me like that, 3 swords sure says something about you, too!" She tried to save, even though she knew it wouldn't help much. With how much she'd embarrassed herself when they'd been together any jab in that direction was probably just stroking his stupid ego.

"About that," he started and she concluded that he was quite possibly schizophrenic, because suddenly he was just different. There couldn't be any other explanation on how he'd change from cute to predatory that quickly and he'd done it often enough to know what she was talking about. It only happened when they talked about _that_ and she really didn't know how to react to it. It made her body do weird things, like thinking he was cute without immediately correcting herself.

"I'll try some things with you today and this time it won't do for you to let me guess what you like and what you don't. So, red if you want me to stop, yellow if you want to continue but careful, green for more."

She huffed… Of course he'd pick green as the 'yes, more please' colour. Vain this alter ego of his, wasn't it?

"Understood?"

"Yes," she said despite her thoughts, because she knew where this would lead if she mumbled or something. She was an adult after all, she wouldn't go down to his childish ways.

He smiled, fond somehow, approving… _Good girl_… Bastard was completely ruining her.

"Good," he said and the same weird happiness as last time bloomed in her chest, even though he loudly scraped his chair over the stone floor like the barbarian he was. He stopped at the door to call back at her, "don't make me wait."

She huffed when the door closed after him and poured herself another glass of wine now that he wasn't there to reprimand her. _Don't make me wait. _There was no way he'd find his room in under an hour… she had plenty time to sit here and think about her life choices. It wasn't like there was any danger that she'd fall in love with him, but the insinuation hurt anyways. She'd come to admit to herself that he was attractive in his stupid rugged way, so that claim was really too close to the truth for her liking. He couldn't know that.

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**Please leave a comment to let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is also always welcome! see you sometime soon hopefully, stay strong and healthy or get well soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Last time Perona had dinner with Zoro and Mihawk, even though the latter excused himself fairly quickly due to the raging hormones of his unwanted houseguests. And now Perona is actually supposed to meet Zoro in his room but she might have had a bit too much?**

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Life had been much easier on Thriller Bark. She didn't have to watch her image that much back then. Most of all, she hadn't been so lonely that she'd have to compromise on her standards like that. Gosh, she really was lonely. So lonely she actually enjoyed these mock family dinners. Maybe she should stop sleeping in and have breakfast with them too?

She could maybe talk with the idiot some more? But… it wasn't like back then anymore when they'd both been beaten and depressed. He seemed fine now most of the time, completely content now that he had the drive, the goal and the physical fitness to work towards it. Now it was just her with nothing to do all day but thinking and debating her choices, standards and wants at night.

With the bottle only producing a few stray drops she got up and gripped the table when she realised that the idiot might have been right when he'd told her to stop drinking some time ago.

She went straight to his room, the alcohol in her system evident in her conviction that if she got there drunk he had to have found it sober by now. If she couldn't talk to him the least he could do was take her mind off things.

She knocked, like the obedient little girl he wanted her to be, no matter how much she disliked it. _Good girl... _Actually, if he could tell her what he expected from her, why couldn't she make demands. Like cuddles! Ah, he had told her to think about those things, hadn't he? He wasn't really good cuddling material, though, not like Kumashi… Oh, she missed Kumashi!

He opened with a frown. "You're la-" he started. "You're drunk," he corrected himself.

She scoffed, "are you going to punish me for that?" He'd spewed stuff like that, hadn't he? And judging by her treacherous body's reaction back then it was probably exactly what she needed to get her mind off things.

"Ain't doing shit with you while you're drunk," he grunted in his very eloquent way, "Go back to your room."

Wha- Wh- Who did that barbarian think he was?! Turning her away like that! She had knocked!

"No I'm not!" She argued and pressed past him, just barely catching herself when he gave way a lot easier than expected. Stupid brute didn't even try to catch her.

"I'm serious, Perona, and I was when I told you I wanted you alert. Either you go back on your own or I'll drag you there, but I won't play unless you're sober enough to consent."

Her fists balled at her side. Stupid idiot brute with his reasoning… the audacity to think he knew better than her!

"Ever thought that this would be easier drunk?" She asked, not at all childishly stomping her foot.

"Ever thought that it's irresponsible to get into stuff like this because of a mood? Last chance, fuck off or I'll make you."

Reason again! Just when had he started to pretend he was an adult? Ha, make her, as if he could make her do anything… she crossed her arms with a huff. Stared at him in challenge, but he just shook his head and had her over his shoulder before she could blink, even though she was sure that might have had to do with the slight spin of the room which definitely didn't improve when she hung upside down his backside.

A not very grabbable backside. Absolutely not. Focus. Right! Hollows. Her powers had to be impaired because there was absolutely no way he could dodge them as easily as he did, he didn't know Haki good enough for this, not yet! She hit his back. Balled fists hurting against hard unforgivable muscle. How was that even allowed?

"Cut it out," he barked and pulled her off his shoulder to hold her at eye level like a child with his hands under her arms. What the- no! No no no this was so not what she wanted this to be! Maybe if she put up enough of a fight? He might just give her something. When she started squirming he put her on the floor and grabbed her wrist in a surely bruising grip and dragged her behind him in a pace she just had to stop flailing unless she wanted to be actually dragged to her room.

Give her something? Like what? What was it even that she wanted from this? He kicked open the door to the kitchen and even in her drunkenness she was sure she saw confusion on his face for a moment. Who'd want attention from a guy that couldn't even find a room that was 3 doors down his own? He let go of her and she cradled her wrist. It was sure to bruise by tomorrow but somehow she couldn't get herself to care about that. She couldn't bruise herself, wouldn't, so even if she'd made a complete fool out of herself and he'd never consider _playing _with her again she did have proof that she wasn't alone on this stupid, stupid lonely Island.

"Drink," he said and thrust a glass of water in front her as if he'd planned to go to the kitchen all along. It was just water, not sparkling and no ice, no cute umbrella, as if he didn't know her at all.

"You downed that whole fucking bottle yourself, didn't you? You normally don't drink, so trust me and drink water, it'll make you feel better tomorrow," he said and maybe his voice was a bit softer than normal. Like it usually was when he talked about his crew. A memory?

She drank. She didn't give the brute much credit for anything but if anybody should know how to cope with excessive amounts of alcohol it should be him. It was cold at least and she somehow immediately felt a little better, even though her vision was still a bit blurry and her thoughts still just randomly flew in and out of her consciousness. While she kept wondering about the magic of plain water he refilled that glass and grabbed her other wrist to drag her out the kitchen. The grip firm but not as firm as before and he even stopped outside so she could point in the right direction.

She could have sworn that it only took them a couple of minutes to reach her room, even though she knew with him in the lead it had to have been at least half an hour. At least! He let go of her once they were inside but she didn't move away. He'd leave now and she'd be lonely again in her too big room… was that why he'd wanted the little one? So he wouldn't feel lonely?

He put the glass down on her nightstand and looked at her with his head cocked like a curious, but menacing cat. He was cute and she knew beyond a doubt that she was drunk.

"What?" She asked with more venom than she should, considering how he treated her right now. He looked some more before plopping down on her cute pink comforter, now looking more like a disgusting grass stain than a cute cat.

She pulled a face that had absolutely no impact on him as he leaned back on her bed, his hands crossed behind his head. "So, ya going to tell me what's crawled up your ass today?" He asked, stoically staring at the high ceiling… or maybe he was rocking a bit too and fro but who knew…

Wait what did he say? Did that mean he'd let her talk? Didn't he want to put his disgusting thing into her cute kitty? Not that she didn't want that… no, she didn't. She really couldn't remember alcohol making things so difficult.

"I just miss them," she sighed and she was ready to blow up at him when he answered with a scoff, "of course you do."

But then she remembered their other talks. Yeah of course she did, so did he. So instead of sending her hollows to him, she plopped down next to him. A grave mistake because the room started spinning and her stomach along with it.

"Put your feet on the ground," he chuckled after a few of her groans. "Seriously is this the first time you got drunk?"

"Of course not!" She argued and still followed his advice. Yeah… he knew a thing or two about alcohol. Grounded by her feet she sighed. "No it's not the first time, but I've never been a drunk like you and it's been a while."

He grunted his understanding not even denying her accusation. "Did you party a lot with your Nakama on Thriller Bark?" He asked.

"Not really, but Cindry, zombie nurse and I had lots of girl nights with lots of sparkling wine," she told him, not at all surprised with how easy it was to slip into this comfortable talking with him. They had spent a lot of time like this. Nice to know that that other thing hadn't ruined that. "What about you?"

He barked a laugh and it definitely _did _surprise her that she didn't find it revolting anymore… maybe she would have if she was sober?

"Luffy would use anything for an excuse to party. Caught an especially big fish? Party. Found a cloud that looks like Usopp? Party. Slept through the night without bothering any of us? We'd throw the party ourselves."

Couldn't she at least hate him for making the one responsible for all her misfortune sound awfully cute? She couldn't because the stupid brute himself looked awfully cute with that fond smile on his face he always had when thinking about his crew. Did she have that too, thinking about her own?

"You're cute when you talk about them," she said, realising her mistake only when the constant static in her ears was disrupted by a hearty chuckle and a surprisingly gentle pat on her head.

"I promise I won't let you drink that much again while I'm around… Creepy as fuck if you're so nice," he said absolutely ruining the statement halfway through… Stupid brute.

"I'd appreciate that," she said despite that.

"Moria was like a father to me," she sniffled after a while of oddly comfortable silence and he grunted in understanding. It was weird that she just knew he wouldn't hold it against her. Not only because she'd told him before, but… it didn't matter that Moria had been his enemy, it didn't make her feelings any less true or any less viable. In moments like this, he'd always just accepted her… Much more mature than herself… Ugh…

"I miss Absalom, too, he was like my perverted uncle or something," she said deciding to put his maturity to the test with something she hadn't told him before. He stiffened for a moment, as expected. She'd seen how protective he was of his crew and from his reaction earlier… not that she condoned what Absalom had done to their navigator but… She knew he could be a pervert and a creep but she'd known him since she'd been little, he had helped her out with pranks and had stolen cakes from the kitchen for her. And she didn't care if the stupid brute would hate her for feeling like that!

"We got a pervert, too," he offered albeit a bit tense, "a few actually. One of them we picked up at Thriller Bark, might have been something in the water or something," he joked and she knew him well enough by now that it was forced.

"I know he did terrible things… planned worse, but I liked him, alright? He was never like that with me, he was nice and we stole sweets together and he taught me how to-"

"Shut up, idiot. I'm not asking you to defend your feelings," he interrupted her and she felt a blush creep up her cheeks. As if she had to defend herself in front of a brute like him.

"I won't forgive him for what he's done, but if I meet him again I'll let him live for you, alright? I might cut off his cock and grabby hands but he'll survive. And besides, our shitty cook is jealous of his devil fruit because he wants to spy on girls in the bathroom so I can't exactly judge you for liking the guy," he said much more sincere even though she was sure he'd only added the last part to make her feel better.

"Thank you."

He grunted in response. Right. Was all he needed to do. This was what friends did, after all. Be there for each other.

"You're really not that bad for a stupid brute," she laughed and the mattress jumped when he joined in. "Yeah, guess there are more insufferable brats I could have been stranded with."

She didn't even hollow him for that. Stretched her arms in the air with a sigh. She really felt better now. The room didn't even spin anymore, but she blinked a few times to banish the funny dots from her vision. Took her too long to realize it was bruises forming on her wrists.

The chuckle beside her died down. "Sorry 'bout that," he said somber. Not at all ashamed or awkward about it. Honest. Didn't search for excuses even though she guessed there were a few that actually made sense… especially since Mihawk-chan had put him on cleaning duty for the month after he'd accidentally shattered a bottle of fine wine with his bare hands. She also didn't call him a brute for nothing. Actually it was surprising that he hadn't hurt her when they'd been together.

It didn't really matter though.

"I think it's cute, purple suits me."

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**I really hoped you liked this bit of bonding time. Let me know in a comment if you'd be so kind.**  
**I have vague ideas for the next chapter but... This are really hard times for all of us, I assume. This whole quarantine business is sucking all creativity and motivation out of me and my betas so the whole writing and betaing process takes some time... So thanks a lot to ghost for still managing to work through this chapter!**  
**For those of you who read The Cockatoo Chronicles I am still working on it, in fact I'm thinking about it all the time and have like 80 ideas for various fun chapters and the next one is on Rexica's table for betaing, but as I said, it all takes more time than it usually would.**  
**Stay healthy, or get well soon. Wear your masks to protect those around you and don't listen to people that couldn't spell science even if you slapped them with a dictionary.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hallo and welcome Back!**  
**Um... I'm sorry it took so long? I kinda came to the conclusion that I won't ever write better smut than the ghost cherry poppin and that kinda was disheartening? So while I still love this fic, in fact purely from the writing I think this is the best I did so far, I kinda couldn't bring myself to work on it. Now... Yesterday, I scrolled through tumblr and saw this and... Well I really wanted to gift the girl some cock to ber birthday, but couldn't get it done in time, so yeah. This is short but hey, it's something!**

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**Last time, Perona wanted to indulge in that disgusting thing again but unfortunately got shitfaced drunk, so she had some heartfelt reminiscence about her crew instead. This time... she still won't get any but! But we're getting closer!**

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This hangover just had to have been the single most horrible thing that had ever happened to her in her entire life. Like for real. She had experienced shit, but this? Not only had the room still spun when she'd woken up which was really annoying, the cold water hadn't had the healing effect it had had the night before and instead had just made her stomach flip and landed her dry-heaving over the toilet and indebted to the stupid brute for holding her hair.

Ugh, she had not been cute at all, cheek pressed to the blissfully cool porcelain she hadn't even checked fo- she felt like drinking again. And worst of all was that he'd been all mature again. Stupid idiot. Hadn't teased her one bit! Or maybe he had but her stupid brain hadn't noticed because it had been busy with other stuff.

Oh god… had she really proposed they make their own pirate crew? Cheeky bastard had volunteered as the navigator and even worse, had she– she _had_ thought it was a good idea. Stupid wine.

She fluffed her cute pink locks in front of the mirror, really feeling infinitely better now that she'd showered and had actually eaten something, and she finally didn't look like a half-decayed corpse anymore.

The bathroom door swung open and she sidestepped it with the easy grace of a person with just enough pain medication to feel like an actual human being again.

He was a filthy mess, of course, but she really couldn't care less this time. After all the embarrassment she'd displayed… it was time to show him who the actual adult was.

"Once you smell like a human again, I'll be waiting in your room, alright?" She asked before smacking her red lips in front of the mirror for a last test. She saw him cock an eyebrow in the reflection before he did that bone-chilling, disgusting cracking of his neck.

"Make yourself comfortable, I have to be at dinner," he said matter of fact.

Ah of course. The idiot brute had lost all his free passes when he'd lost that eye. She shrugged. "Don't make me wait," she echoed his words from the day before, turning on her heel to leave the room before he had a chance to strip because by now she knew for a fact that the idiot had no ounce of shame in him.

Not that it really mattered, she was an adult, after all, she had seen him naked countless times and there really was no reason to get all worked up about it. They were adults, they had seen each other naked, they did the thing together... And she had told him she wanted it again tonight. Not very cute, but definitely mature. Didn't at all keep her from pressing against his closed bedroom door with her back and with her heart hammering in her chest and a most definitely cute blush on her face. Actually she'd felt like pressing against the bathroom but now that he had observation Haki there was no way she'd embarrass herself like that!

No! Instead, she'd taken slow, measured steps to his boring, grey room like the mature adult she was.

His boring, grey room. Yeah, that had turned out great hadn't it? What was she supposed to do here while she waited god knew how long for him?

She plopped down on his bed. It was tiny in comparison to hers and not at all as fluffy and cute as hers either. Plain white sheets that she was surprised he'd obviously changed from last time. Oh god, she would have died from mortification if it had been the same soiled mess as then. Felt the hot blush already. The bed was made, which was definitely only because Mihawk-chan expected it from him. There was just no way he'd do something like that from an intrinsic sense of neatness. The brute did _not_ have that.

Crawling up to the middle of the bed she spread her arms, touching the edges of it. He was huge, how had they both fit on this? She just couldn't imagine– Ok no that was a lie, she had imagined _a lot_ the last few weeks and her cheeks heated again when the thought alone popped awfully vivid pictures in her head. His green head between her thighs, his stupid pretty face above her… With a squeal, she pressed her hands on her face. Oh, how hot her face was! She rolled around, very happy that he definitely didn't have any devil fruit or refined observation Haki to spy on her and see her pitiful displa– The bed smelled of him. Well, of course, it did since it was his bed but. But. Did it smell so good? How did he smell so good?

Ugh. Nope. She could not accept that. That brute that had never in his life even seen a deodorant did not smell good. He did not. That was just her kitty talking. And she knew for a fact that her kitty didn't know anything, especially as of late. Stupid kitty.

She jumped to her feet because there really was no use staying on that stupid, good smelling bed with her kitty screaming for attention. No. No, no, no_, no_. She would _not_ give him the satisfaction of finding her on his bed with her hands inside her panties… Although she still didn't quite understand how he could do all that so casually. Her kitty might be cute to look at now, but it still felt all disgusting and slimy. He'd just done it so… just so casually. It was probably normal, and definitely needed to get all disgusting, but… It was really not fair that _he _didn't have to deal with that.

It also really wasn't fair that he didn't have anything, _anything_ in this stupid room to keep her entertained. There was a nightstand with a book on top. _The Secret To Alabasta Cuisine: Now With Drink Recommendations._ She huffed. As if the idiot brute wouldn't live of off riceballs for two years. Fingers trailing over the fancy leather binding, she turned towards his desk. Whatever an idiot like him even needed a desk for eluded her. Why it was littered with books even more so.

_A Comprehensive Guide To Navigation._ Ha! As if that would help him. _Wandering Forests_ yeah sure, of course, the dumbass blamed the forests. _Adam's Wood, Every Shipwright's Dream_. Oh, so that's how it was. He'd never tried to look smart and vex her with the books… _Herbs of The New World And Corresponding Leaps in Medicine_. It would be a wonder if he even understood half of the books he had here, but it was the only way to be close to them. He probably missed their talks about their interests so he compensated. Oh no no, she was not ready for this. She _knew_ he missed them. They had talked enough about that, over and over again. But this? This was _cute_. And she really, really wasn't ready to see the idiot brute as cute.

He even had a dictionary to understand them better… It was infuriating, but… When she really thought about it… It was proof that he was stupid and indeed didn't understand half of it and that was good because then he could at least stay an idiot in her head. She opened the worn book and _ugh_, what a barbarian, he'd scribbled all over the pages like a damn child.

_However_. Oh. Oh god. She skimmed over the pages and markings, an amused laugh bubbling from her chest. He did not use the dictionary to understand his friends. He was not a sap and probably couldn't care less about the fancy words he saw in the books. He was a fucking nerd is what he was! Puns! Puns for his stupid, overbearing attacks! Oh, thank god!

"What the fuck ya think you're doing going through my stuff, princess?"

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**Hope you enjoyed despite the shortness.**  
**I honestly can't promise you anything anytime soon, I mean, snooping definitely deserves punishment and all that but if I can get myself to write it is another matter entirely. Anyways, huuuuge, humongous thank you to SomethingGhosty for encouraging me and literally always being by my side when I need her and for betaing last minute. Also for just being the Luffy to my Zoro... or the other way round... you know, sharing that one brain cell with me, because you sure as fuck wouldn't have that chapter without her. Also, thank you, yes you, for still being here despite how long it took me to get this chapter done!**


	10. New chapter! But not here

Hallo everyone!

I've been going through a rough patch lately and took a break from writing. Silly me thought the quality of my writing was measured by comments and favs and kudos and it wasn't good for my motivation.

I began again by writing fics for my close friends, as I knew what I wrote for them would be loved and expressed as well. I also did some soul searching, started to reread my magnum opus Shôganai trying to find positive things about it. And what can I say, all those things **worked!**

I wrote an **new chapter for this very fic! **

Now the bad news is, there's a lot of things I don't like about ffnet (like the fact that they edited even their own URL out) what I liked were the very detailed statistics but unfortunately it showed that I'm not stable enough to deal with those. That's the reason I'm leaving this site behind.

**!the new chapter is on ao3!**

I'd love to see you over at ao3. If you request an invite nowadays it only takes about 2-3 days until you get your account and there's quite a few more stories from me i never published on fanfiction. But I understand if you don't want yet another account on yet another site. I hope you all know that I'm grateful for your support either way, I'm always happy to see a new follow or favourite pop up in my inbox, it really makes my day. But this site really supports my unhealthy obsession with statistics so I am now finally moving to ao3. I hope at least on some level you understand.

I hope you're all doing well in these hard times!

Love you all.

Hope to see you around ao3


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